midnight
` Last night I did not , but at this hour I believe in only one thing , which is that it is time everyone was asleep . ' She rose to her feet at this , and with a tremulous little laugh apologised for her terror , but I assured her that for the moment there were two panic-stricken persons at the stair head . Taking the candle , and recovering my electric torch , which luckily was uninjured by its roll down the incline the butler had taken , I escorted the lady to the door of her room , and bade her good-night , or rather , good-morning . The rising sun dissipated a slight veil of mist which hung over the park , and also dissolved , so far as I was concerned , the phantoms which my imagination had conjured up at midnight . It was about half-past ten when the chief constable arrived . I flatter myself I put some life into that unimaginative man before I was done with him . ` What made you think that the butler was mounting the stair when he fell ? '