midnight
One moment she was there , the next moment she was gone ! We looked for her immediately , but found no trace of her . '' The baron replied not one word to this explanation , but took his hat and walked out to join the search for the missing girl , while the baroness remained in her rooms , a prey to the most poignant anxiety . It was near midnight when the baron returned , looking full ten years older than he did when he went forth . No trace of the missing girl had been found , and whether her disappearance was a flight or an abduction no one could even conjecture . The condition of the agonized mother became critical ; she could not be persuaded to lie down , or to cease from her restless walking to and fro in her chamber . At length , a physician was summoned , who administered a potent sedative , which conquered her nervous excitement , and laid her in a blessed sleep upon her bed .