midnight
By this time they had come to the gateway and turned into the street . Harold Brimbecomb 's beautiful home was brilliantly lighted . It appeared the same to Flea as on the night before , when she had seen Scraggy make her melancholy play before it . Flea had refrained from speaking of her midnight fright to Flukey ; for he would but tell her that , like all girls , she was afraid , and a slur from her brother was more than she could bear . Flea and Flukey had never been taught to pray , `` Lead us not into temptation . '' Now , with aching hearts and empty stomachs , they turned in silence to the richly lighted houses . Flukey dragged himself resolutely past Brimbecomb 's as if he would avoid the desire that suddenly pressed upon him to ply the trade in which he had been darkly instructed .