midnight
Rachel 's vigorous strength and health had been greatly promoted by her familiarity with salt water , and Bessie was in ecstasies at the naiad performances they shared together on the smooth bit of sandy shore , where they dabbled and floated fearlessly . One morning , when they had been down very early to be beforehand with the tide , which put a stop to their enjoyment long before the breakfast hour , Bessie asked if they could not profit by their leisure to climb round the edge of the cliff 's instead of returning by the direct path , and Rachel agreed , with the greater pleasure , that it was an enterprise she had seldom performed . Very beautiful , though adventurous , was the walk -- now on the brow of the steep cliff , looking down on the water or on little bays of shingle , now through bits of thicket that held out brambles to entangle the long tresses streaming on their shoulders ; always in the brisk morning air , that filled them with strength and spirit , laughing , joking , calling to one another and to Conrade 's little dog , that , like every other creature , had attached itself to Bessie , and had followed her from Myrtlewood that morning , to the vexation of Rachel , who had no love for dogs in their early youth . They were beyond the grounds of the Homestead , but had to go a little further to get into the path , when they paused above a sort of dip or amphitheatre of rock around a little bay , whilst Rachel began telling of the smugglers ' traditions that haunted the place -- how much brandy and silk had there been landed in the time of the great French war , and how once , when hard pressed , a party of smugglers , taking a short cut in the moonlight midnight across the Homestead gardens , had encountered an escaped Guinea-pig , and no doubt taking it for the very rat without a tail , in whose person Macbeth 's witch was to do , and to do , and to do , had been nearly scared out of their wits . Her story was cut short by a cry of distress from the dog , and looking down , they perceived that the poor fellow had been creeping about the rocks , and had descended to the little cove , whence he was incapable of climbing up again . They called encouragingly , and pretended to move away , but he only moaned more despairingly , and leapt in vain . `` He has hurt his foot ! ''