midnight
Should these fail , he had other means in store by which he hoped to make her give up what he honestly thought her folly . How could a weak woman venture to set herself up in opposition to the Church ? Many others , to be sure , had ventured to do the same , but few had spoken as she had done , and several had at sight of the rack recanted , and given all the information required of them . It was midnight . Eighteen days had passed since Antonio Herezuelo had been stretched on the rack . His lacerated flesh had healed , his stretched sinews had recovered somewhat of their original strength . His cheeks were still pale , his voice , when he spoke to himself , was hollow , his eye had lost its brightness , yet his mind retained much of its usual vigour ; his spiritual life had never flagged nor had his faith grown dim .