two in the morning
She brought herself to believe -- but I am inclined to doubt whether she was right in so believing -- that the first time she became aware of this strange nocturnal habit of Mr. Sleuth 's happened to be during the night which preceded the day on which she had observed a very curious circumstance . This very curious circumstance was the complete disappearance of one of Mr. Sleuth 's three suits of clothes . It always passes my comprehension how people can remember , over any length of time , not every moment of certain happenings , for that is natural enough , but the day , the hour , the minute when these happenings took place ! Much as she thought about it afterwards , even Mrs. Bunting never quite made up her mind whether it was during the fifth or the sixth night of Mr. Sleuth 's stay under her roof that she became aware that he had gone out at two in the morning and had only come in at five . But that there did come such a night is certain -- as certain as is the fact that her discovery coincided with various occurrences which were destined to remain retrospectively memorable . ****** It was intensely dark , intensely quiet -- the darkest quietest hour of the night , when suddenly Mrs. Bunting was awakened from a deep , dreamless sleep by sounds at once unexpected and familiar . She knew at once what those sounds were .