About
midnight
`` This Colonel was settled , on his pension , in the back corner of the third shelf . He was fetched out from thence , and his sabre -- still a bright and handsome silver weapon -- taken off , and girt about Nutcracker . `` Next night Marie could not close an eye for anxiety . About midnight she fancied she heard a strange stirring and noise in the sitting-room -- a rustling and a clanging -- and all at once came a shrill ` Queak ! ' '' ` The king of the mice ! The king of the mice ! ' she cried , and jumped out of bed , all terror .