nearly midnight
There was only one road , only one way over to the hotel , and he could not miss it . There was no doubt now that , whoever he was , the night visitor had come down on the evening train from the city ; and his return ticket would indicate that he meant to go back the way he came . It was half-past ten when that train arrived . It was nearly midnight when the man appeared at the cottage window . It was after two when Armitage gave up the search and went to bed . It was possible for the man to have walked to Lakeville , six miles south , and reached the station there in abundant time to take the up-train which passed Sablon , without stopping , a little before daybreak . If he took that train , and if he was Jerrold , he would have been in the city before seven , and could have been at Fort Sibley before or by eight o'clock .