midnight
Gillstoups , porter bottles , and penny pies flew like balls and bomb-shells in battle . Mrs Fenton , with her mutch off , and her hair loose , with wide and wild arms , like a witch in a whirlwind , was seen trying to sunder the challengers , and the champions . Finding , however , her endeavours unavailing , and fearing that murder would be committed , she ran like desperation into the streets , crying for help . I was just at the time stepping into my bed , when I heard the uproar , and , dressing myself again , I went out to the street ; for the sound and din of the riot came raging through the silence of the midnight , like the tearing and swearing of the multitude at a house on fire , and I thought no less an accident could be the cause . On going into the street , I met several persons running to the scene of action , and , among others , Mrs Beaufort , with a gallant of her own , and both of them no in their sober senses . It 's no for me to say who he was ; but assuredly , had the woman no been doited with drink , she never would have seen any likeness between him and me , for he was more than twenty years my junior . However , onward we all ran to Mrs Fenton 's house , where the riot , like a raging caldron boiling o'er , had overflowed into the street .