midnight
Could he , but for such weary nights of sleepless wandering and watching , have let his darling boy drive those young horses , filling the carriage so full of his brothers and sisters that there was no room for any beside him whose hands were strong enough to hold them in ? He was not sure . His clearer thought would not consent to admit that he could have foreseen the danger , and yet he had been so accustomed to hold things in hand , and keep them safe and secure , that he could hardly suppose they would not , but for his own state of mind , have been managed better . It was midnight now ; he had no intention of coming indoors , or taking any rest , and his thoughts went on and on . When the misfortune came , it was still his own perturbation of mind , which had worn and fretted him so that he could not meet it as he might have done . This woman , whom he loved as it seemed to him man had never loved before , had taken herself out of his reach , and another man would win her . How could he live out the rest of his days ?