two o'clock in the
morning
At length a creeping fear stole over her lest the family might return . She stopped one moment to look back into the little bedroom . `` How good I did use to sleep here , '' she said . `` I worked as stout as I could the day through , and there wa 'n' t no wakin ' up by two o'clock in the morning , and smellin ' for fire and harkin ' for thieves like I have to nowadays . '' Mercy stepped away down the long sloping field like a young woman . It was a long walk back to Tobias 's , even if one followed the pleasant footpaths across country . She was heavy-footed , but entirely light-hearted when she came safely in at the gate of the Bassett place .