midnight
To make things worse , Roger turned round , and where the road crossed the brow of the hill behind us there was the glow of automobile lamps . He swore under his breath . `` They 're coming , Clara , '' he said . `` That fool of a maid did n't wait until midnight . '' The thought of being found like that , waist-deep in water , drove me to frenzy . I knew how they 'd laugh , how they 'd keep on laughing for years . They 'd call us the Water Babies probably , or something equally hateful .