the hour of twelve
That night certainly proved an even more exciting one than Cleek had prophesied . The household retired early , as country households are apt to do , but Cleek , however , did not undress . He sat at his window , which faced upon the Fens , watching the trail of the flames dancing across the horizon of night , and trying to solve the riddle that he had come to find the answer to . He heard the church clock in the distance chime out the hour of twelve ; and still he sat on . The peace of the quiet night stole over him , filling his active brain with a restfulness that had been foreign to it for some time in the stress of his busy life in London . He felt glad he had taken up this case , if only for the view of the countryside at night , the stillness of the untrod marshes , and the absolute absence of every living thing at this hour . The clock chimed one , and he heeded it not .