about
two in the morning
`` Lucy ! '' he cried , looking in his dismay into every corner , into his own dressing-room , and even into the large wardrobe where her dresses hung , like shells and husks , which she had laid aside . And then he made an agitated pause , standing in the middle of the room , not knowing what to think . It was by this time about two in the morning ; the middle of the night , according to Lucy . Where could she have gone ? Then he bethought himself with an immediate relief , which was soon replaced by poignant anxiety , of the only possible reason for her absence -- a reason which would explain everything -- little Tom . When this thought occurred to him all the excitement that had been in Sir Tom 's mind disappeared in a moment , and he thought of nothing but that baby lying , perhaps tossing uneasily , upon his little bed , his mother watching over him ; most sacred group on earth to him , who , whatever his faults might be , loved them both dearly .