midnight
Once she spoke with half-laughing hesitancy of the assiduity with which the sergeant devoted all his spare time to his captain 's service , or to madame 's , and Grace had looked so annoyed that she ceased further mention of him . She wanted to tell her of his being at the gate that night , and his going around under the library-window , but it proved a difficult thing , and she postponed it from day to day . Then came the sudden departure of the sergeant and his party for New York , where they were ordered to report at a recruiting rendezvous . Believing that they had seen the last of him she breathed freer , and decided to keep the story of his midnight visit to herself , at least for a time ; and now here he was again , and his coming had evidently startled her friend . She wanted , above all things , to have a frank talk with Mrs. Truscott . This keeping a secret from her was distressing , and she could not bear the thought of a possible cloud or misunderstanding between them , but poor Grace had totally forgotten the existence of such a person as Wolf by the time they got home . She was having a little trouble of her own .