midnight
He had not seen Anitra again and did not propose to , unless the meeting came about in a natural way and without any show of desire on his part . If any suspicion had been awakened in the house by his peculiar conduct in the morning , he meant it to be speedily dissipated by the careful way in which he now held to his rôle of despairing husband whose only interest in the girl left on his hands was the dutiful one of a reluctant brother-in-law , who doubts the kindly feelings of his strange and unwelcome charge . The landlady , with a delicacy he highly appreciated , cared for the young girl without making her conspicuous by any undue attention . No tidings had come in of any discovery in the mill-stream or in the river into which it ran , and there being nothing with which to feed gossip , the townsfolk who had gathered about the hotel porches gradually began to disperse , till only a few of the most persistent remained to keep up conversation till midnight . Finally these too left and the house sank into quiet , a quiet which remained unbroken all night ; for everybody , even poor Mr. Ransom , slept . He was up , however , with the first beam entering his room . How could he tell but that news of a definite and encouraging nature awaited him ?