midnight
His own house was on Company Street , near the woods out of which the town seemed to spring ; and in his cool library he gathered his boys daily , and crammed their brains with Latin and mathematics . The boys had met at Peter Lytton 's before , but Knox easily persuaded them to the new arrangement , which was as grateful to him -- he was newly married -- as to Alexander . When the lessons were over he gave his favourite pupil a book and an easy-chair , or made experiments in chemistry with him until it was cool enough to ride or row . In the evening Alexander had his difficult lessons to prepare , and when he tumbled into bed at midnight he was too healthy not to sleep soundly . He spent two days of every week with his friend Ned Stevens , on a plantation where there were lively people and many horses . Gradually the heaviness of his grief sank of its weight , the buoyancy and vivacity of his mind were released , the eager sparkle returned to his eyes . He did not cease to regret his mother , nor passionately to worship her memory ; but he was young , the future was an unresting magnet to his ambitious mind , devoted friends did their utmost , and his fine strong brain , eager for novelty and knowledge , opened to new impressions , closed with inherent philosophy to what was beyond recall .