midnight
To bring her to Hillsborough in her present state would be fatal . He was compelled to leave her in Wales , and that looked so like abandoning her . He suffered torture , the torture that only noble minds can know . At midnight , as he lay in bed , and revolved in his mind all the difficulties and perils of this pitiable situation , an idea struck him . He would try and persuade Mrs. Little to marry him . Should she consent , he could then take her on a wedding-tour , and that tour he could easily extend from place to place , putting off the evil time until , strong in health and conjugal affection , she might be able to endure the terrible , the inevitable blow . The very next morning he wrote her an eloquent letter ; he told her that Henry had gone suddenly off to Australia to sell his patents ; that almost his last word had been , `` My mother !