midnight
Beric hastened away at once , accompanied by the lad , who by the way gave an account of his journey . `` It was as I thought , '' he said . `` When I came to the house you told me of , I knocked as you instructed me , gave the ring to the man within and begged him to take it to the Lady Aemilia . He at first pretended that he knew nothing of such a person ; but at last , on my showing him the letter addressed to her , he said that some friends of his might know where she was , and that if I called again , two hours before midnight , he might have news of her . When I came back the Lady Aemilia was there . She asked many questions about your health before she opened your letter , the one that you first wrote to her . When she had read it she said , ` My lord bids me stay here , Philo , and I am , above all things , bound to obey him ; but he says that he bids me remain , because the hardships would be too great for me .