midnight
That was the way they did for themselves in this part of Hampshire . The suicide of Mr. Bates had a great effect on Dale . The sadness and regret that he felt at the time continued to tinge his thoughts for a long while afterward . He could not shake off the horror of that midnight scene , as he imagined it -- the God-fearing man breaking the divine laws , the man full of years who was so near the grave and yet could not wait till it received him naturally , the poor feeble old creature taxing all his remnant of strength to knock out the small spark of life that already had begun to gleam so dimly . How long did he take to drag and raise the ladder , pausing to recover breath , holding his side and coughing , then again toiling ? Another thing that depressed Dale 's spirits was the departure of Mr. Osborn , who had gone to the Midlands to take up the ministry of a large church in a large town . And never had Dale more felt the want of priestly support than at this period .