midnight
Nothing else is spoken of among all the ladies I have seen today , and all agree it forbodes some terrible evil . '' `` It may , or it may not , '' the old scribe said cautiously ; `` if the statue has fallen by the action of the gods the omen is surely a most evil one . '' `` But how else could it have fallen , Cneius ? '' `` Well , my dear , there are many Britons in the town , and you know they are in a very excited state ; their women , indeed , seem to have gone well nigh mad with their midnight singing and wailing . It is possible -- mind , I do not for a moment say that it is so , for were the suggestion to occur to the citizens it would lead to fresh oppressions and cruelties against the Britons -- but it is just possible that some of them may have entered the temple at night and overthrown Victory 's image as an act of defiance . You know how the women nightly shriek out their prophecies of the destruction of this town . '' `` But could they destroy it , Cneius ?