midnight
Nobody heeded Barbara ; she did as she pleased , going and coming as in the colony . A favourite with all about the place , she had never to use authority . Every one , for very love , was at her service . Whatever preposterous thing , at whatever unearthly moment , she might have wanted , it would have been ready -- her mare at midnight , her breakfast at noon , a cow in the library to draw from . There was little regularity in the house ; every one wanted to do what was right in his own eyes ; but every one was ready to see right with the eyes of Barbara . Home was , nevertheless , as one may well believe , a terribly dull place to her ; and as , for some occult reason , Theodora Lestrange had taken a fancy to her , as sir Wilton was charmed with her , and lady Ann -- for reasons -- had little to say against her , she was at Mortgrange as much as she pleased -- never too much even for Arthur , whose propriety , rather insular , a little provincial , and sometimes pedantic , she would shock twenty times a day ; for he was fascinated by her grace and playfulness , though he declared he would as soon think of marrying a humming-bird as Barbara . He tried for a while to throw his net over her , for he would fain have tamed her to come at his call : but he soon arrived at the conclusion that nothing but the troubles of life would tame her , and then it would be a pity .