midnight
`` Now , '' he cried , `` The Son of God goes forth to war ! Who follows in His train ? '' Florence Nightingale and her band of trained nurses , mainly from the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy , and St. John 's Protestant House , was the instant answer . In six days they were ready and without any flourish of trumpets , at the dark , quiet midnight , they left England for Scutari and in that hour the Red Cross Society was born . `` How long is it since they sailed ? '' asked Rahal . `` A month , '' answered Ian , `` but the controversy about it is still raging in the English papers . ''