midnight
Down I ran headlong , and whom should I find but the dear and excellent Madame Darpent . She , who never left her home but for Church , had come to help us in our extremity . It seemed that Meg 's dragoon -LRB- about whom she has told her own story -RRB- had disguised himself as soon as he came within Paris , and come in hot haste to M. Darpent , telling him how once my brave sister had repulsed the whole crew of villains , and how he had hurried away while the gentlemen -LRB- pretty gentlemen , indeed ! -RRB- were drinking wine to get up their courage for another encounter , in which they were determined to succeeded since they were heavy bets at the Prince 's camp that the pride of la grand Anglaise should be subdued before midnight . The dragoon had not ventured to come any farther than Maison Darpent , lest he should be missed and his comrades should not be able to conceal his absence but he assured M. Darpent that though they might appear to obey orders , they were resolved to give the lady every opportunity of resistance . Was she not the wife of the best captain they had ever had , and had she not knelt like one of the holy saints in a mystery play ? I was for setting forth at once with Sir Francis , sure that the iniquity could not proceed when it was made public .