midnight
She had learned to dread her father 's fondness for starting topics which led to religious discussions of a somewhat heated nature . But as I did not speak , Mr. Harland was placed in the embarrassing position of a person propounding a theory which no one shows any eagerness to accept or to deny , and , looking slightly confused , he went on in a lighter and more casual way -- `` I had a friend once at Oxford , -- a wonderful fellow , full of strange dreams and occult fancies . He was one of those who believed in the Divine half of man . He used to study curious old books and manuscripts till long past midnight , and never seemed tired . His father had lived by choice in some desert corner of Egypt for forty years , and in Egypt this boy had been born . Of his mother he never spoke . His father died suddenly and left him a large fortune under trustees till he came of age , with instructions that he was to be taken to England and educated at Oxford , and that when he came into possession of his money , he was to be left free to do as he liked with it .