midnight
While he remained perplexed in this perverse sentiment of invasion and dispossession , `` Hark ! '' said Mrs. Sallie , `` what 's that ? '' It was a noise of dragging and shuffling on the walk in front of the house , and a low , hoarse whispering . `` I do n't know , '' said Frank , `` but from the kind of pleasure I 've got out of it so far , I should say that this holiday was capable of an earthquake before midnight . '' `` Listen ! '' They listened , as they must , and heard the outer darkness rehearse a raucous dialogue between an unseen Bill and Jim , who were the more terrible to the imagination from being so realistically named , and who seemed to have in charge some nameless third person , a mute actor in the invisible scene . There was doubt , which he uttered , in the mind of Jim , whether they could get this silent comrade along much farther without carrying him ; and there was a growling assent from Bill that he _ was _ pretty far gone , that was a fact , and that maybe Jim _ had _ better go for the wagon ; then there were quick , retreating steps ; and then there was a profound silence , in which the audience of this strange drama sat thrilled and speechless .