midnight
The chances are against it . ` I had all kinds of trouble to tell them I was going away with Warrigal , and yet not to tell too much . ' `` What the dickens , '' says Clifford , `` can you want , going away with this familiar of yours at this hour of the night ? You 're like the fellow in Scott 's novel -LSB- ` Anne of Geierstein ' -RRB- that I was reading over again yesterday -- the mysterious stranger that 's called for at midnight by the Avenger of Blood , departs with him and is never seen more . '' ' `` In case you never see me afterwards , '' I said , `` we 'd better say good-bye . We 've been good mates and true friends , have n't we ? '' ' `` Never better , '' he said .