about four in the
morning
About one o'clock , Selina had to be put to bed in strong hysterics . She had lashed her nephew with her bitter tongue till he had rushed out of the house , declaring that none of them should ever see his face again . Now she reproached herself as being the cause of all , and fell into an agony of remorse , which engrossed her sisters ' whole care ; until her violent emotion having worn itself out , she went to sleep , the only one who did sleep in that miserable family . For Elizabeth also , having been sent to bed hours before , was found by Miss Hilary sitting on the kitchen stairs , about four in the morning . Her mistress made no attempt at reproach , but brought her into the parlor to share the silent watch , never broken except to make up the fire or light a fresh candle ; till candles burned up , and shutters were opened , and upon their great calamity stared the broad unwelcome day . `` Missing '' -- `` Lost '' -- `` To -- '' -- all the initials of the alphabet -- we read these sort of advertisements in the newspapers ; and unless there happens to be in them something intensely pathetic , comical , or horrible , we think very little about them . Only those who have undergone all that such an advertisement implies can understand its depth of misery : the sudden missing of the person out of the home circle , whether going away in anger or driven away by terror or disgrace ; the hour after hour and day after day of agonized suspense ; the self-reproach , real or imaginary , lest any thing might have been said or done that was not said or done -- any thing prevented that was not prevented ; the gnawing remorse for some cruel , or careless , or bitter word , that could so easily have been avoided .