midnight
At last , after a great deal of persuasion from Fraulein Rottenmeier , Sebastian and John plucked up courage and agreed to sit up one night in the room next to the large council-chamber and to watch and see what would happen . Fraulein Rottenmeier looked up several weapons belonging to the master , and gave these and a bottle of spirits to Sebastian , so that their courage might not faint if it came to a fight . On the appointed night the two sat down and began at once to take some of the strengthening cordial , which at first made them very talkative and then very sleepy , so that they leant back in their seats and became silent . As midnight struck , Sebastian roused himself and called to his companion , who , however , was not easy to wake , and kept rolling his head first to one side and then the other and continuing to sleep . Sebastian began to listen more attentively , for he was wide awake now . Everything was still as a mouse , all sound had died away from the streets even . He did not feel inclined to go to sleep again , for the stillness was ghostly to him , and he was afraid now to raise his voice to rouse John , so he shook him gently to make him stir .