twelve o'clock on Saturday
To the last of them I answer , `` Yes -- but a glad repentance . '' At length the slow hour arrived . Longing thoughts had almost obliterated the figures upon Time 's dial , and made it look a hopeless undivided circle of eternity . But at length twelve o'clock on Saturday came ; and the delight would have been almost unendurable to some , had it not been calmed by the dreary proximity of the Sabbath lying between them and freedom . To add to their joy , there was no catechism that day . The prayer , although a little longer than usual , was yet over within a minute after the hour . And almost as soon as the _ Amen _ was out of the master 's mouth , the first boys were shouting jubilantly in the open air .