Ten o'clock
He spoke fairly enough , and seemed to meditate no treachery ; nor was there any obvious or known interest to serve by treachery ; and yet I doubted him grievously . The night came : it was chosen as a gala night , one of two nights throughout the year in which the prisoners were allowed to celebrate a great national event : and in those days of relaxed prison management the utmost license was allowed to the rejoicing . This indulgence was extended to prisoners of all classes , though , of course , under more restrictions with regard to the criminal class . Ten o'clock came -- the hour at which we had been instructed to hold ourselves in readiness . We had been long prepared . Agnes had been dressed by Hannah in such a costume externally -LRB- a man 's hat and cloak , & c. -RRB- that , from her height , she might easily have passed amongst a mob of masquerading figures in the debtors ' halls and galleries for a young stripling . Pierpoint and myself were also to a certain degree disguised ; so far , at least , that we should not have been recognized at any hurried glance by those of the prison officers who had become acquainted with our persons .