midnight
Their struggles , as he assisted her up through the narrow opening , were ungainly and ludicrous ; yet , incongruously enough , there came to him a fleeting sense of joy in even that accidental and impersonal contact of her hand with his . Then he braced himself against the narrow brick walls where he stood , appearing a strange and grotesque and bodiless head above the level of the street . Thus peering out , he watched her as she beat her way down the wind-swept sidewalk . Already , through the drifting midnight rain , the outline of her figure was losing its distinctness . He was reaching down for his wet and sodden hat , to follow her , when something happened that left him transfixed , a motionless and bodiless head on which startled horror had suddenly fallen . For out of the quiet and shadowy south side of the street , where it had been silently patrolling under lowered speed , swerved and darted a wine-colored , surrey-built touring car with a cape top . Durkin recognized it at a glance ; it was Penfield 's huge machine .