midnight
As yet Gabriella had bought nothing ; and she dreaded the time when her clothes would wear out beyond the hope of repairing , and she should be obliged to add another bill to the growing pile under the silver paper weight on the little white and gold desk . But in the last few weeks even this anxiety had faded from her mind , for the miracle of life which stirred in her body had diffused its golden halo around every trivial incident of her existence . After days of physical wretchedness , which she had hidden from George , she sat one evening , utterly at peace , in front of the fire in the room which had been Patty 's before her marriage . It was past midnight , and she was waiting for George to come home because she felt that she could not sleep until she had told him . In the morning he had been unusually gentle , and as he left the house , she had said to herself a little sternly that he must know about the child before the day was over . A secret consultation with her mother-in-law had strengthened her resolution . `` Do n't keep it from him another day , Gabriella , '' Mrs. Fowler had urged .