midnight
While the virtuous and generous bend under the weight of their self-appointed travails , these pass by in swift palanquins of silk and fine gold , and are adored by the valiant and the wise . And he was going to marry her . He slept heavily on the engineer 's settee . He had told that obliging person to give him a call at midnight -- he wanted to see what the Old Man was up to . The Old Man , however , later gave Mr. Cassar explicit orders to let the mate sleep -- he would remain on duty himself . The chief felt it incumbent upon him to oblige the captain , and Mr. Spokesly slept on , much disturbed none the less by grotesque and laboured forebodings of his subconscious being , so that he moved restlessly at times , as though some occult power within was striving to rouse him . Indeed , it was the spirit of duty struggling with wearied tissues .