midnight
If her eyes met his , which they did not often , how easy it was to send a meaning glance from his own ! how delightful to sit beside her in the circle round the glowing kiln ! Robin Davies and Neddy `` Pandy '' were late , so to beguile the time Jacob struck up a merry tune , the whole company joining in the chorus . Song after song followed each other , interspersed with stories , some of old times and traditions , others of modern adventures at market or fair , until at midnight they all adjourned to the mill kitchen , where Shan had prepared the usual meal of steaming coffee with bread and butter . There was bread of all sorts , from the brown barley loaf to the creamy , curled oatcake , flanked by piles of the delicious tea-cakes for which Pont-y-fro was noted . The men washed down their cakes with foaming `` blues '' from the beer barrel . Robin Davies and Neddy `` Pandy '' arrived just in time for the coffee , and when the meal was over they all returned to the kiln room , where the air was filled with the aroma of the roasting corn .