midnight before
Mrs. Leigh heeded the loss of all these things less than her sons . She had more spirit in her countenance than she had had for months , because now she had hope ; of a sad enough kind , to be sure , but still it was hope . She performed all her household duties , strange and complicated as they were , and bewildered as she was with all the town necessities of her new manner of life ; but when her house was `` sided , '' and the boys come home from their work in the evening , she would put on her things and steal out , unnoticed , as she thought , but not without many a heavy sigh from Will , after she had closed the house-door and departed . It was often past midnight before she came back , pale and weary , with almost a guilty look upon her face ; but that face so full of disappointment and hope deferred , that Will had never the heart to say what he thought of the folly and hopelessness of the search . Night after night it was renewed , till days grew to weeks , and weeks to months . All this time Will did his duty towards her as well as he could , without having sympathy with her . He stayed at home in the evenings for Tom 's sake , and often wished he had Tom 's pleasure in reading , for the time hung heavy on his hands as he sat up for his mother .