midnight
He had passed that first timidity of love which shrinks from the knowledge of others , and longed to tell his mother what noble fidelity and courage Martha had exhibited . Only the recollection of the fearful swoon into which she had fallen bound his tongue ; he felt that the first return to the subject must come from her . She lay back in her chair and seemed to sleep ; he rose from time to time , went out into the lane and listened , -- and so the hours passed away . Towards midnight a heavy step was heard , and Deb . Smith , hot , panting , her arms daubed with earth , and a wild light in her eyes , entered the kitchen . With one hand she grasped the ends of her strong tow-linen apron , with the other she still shouldered the spade . She knelt upon the floor between the two , set the apron in the light of the fire , unrolled the end of a leathern saddle-bag , and disclosed the recovered treasure .