midnight
To have his old friend by his side was the best comfort that was left , but how he must have missed his wife , and how endlessly , breathlessly long the hours must have seemed , sitting with folded hands , with nothing to do but to wait ! Even I -- an outsider -- was oppressed by the difference in the atmosphere of the two rooms . In the sick-room there was suffering indeed , but there was also a constant , earnest fight ; here , the heavy , smoke-filled air seemed to breathe of despair ! On those midnight visits , the first thing I did after giving my report , was to open the window , and the second to make a jug of chocolate , beating the powder in the milk till it foamed , in tempting continental fashion . The men shivered and protested . They were in a draught ; they were not hungry ; they wanted neither chocolate nor sandwiches ; but I went on with my preparations in an elderly , persistent fashion , and said if they did n't -- well , I did , and I hoped they would not grudge me a little refreshment in the midst of my labours . By the time that the little meal was prepared , the smoke had cleared away and left a little air to breathe , so then I made a favour of shutting the window and poking the fire , and we would sit down together , and -- it was wonderful how much we could eat !