midnight
Meanwhile the time passed pleasantly , for he was accumulating money ; Mary 's letter would be on the way , and the hope of seeing her within the appointed time was dominant over all the fascinations which charmed the senses . But when the month came in which he ought to have received a letter , no letter came -- not much this to be thought of , though Mr. Dreghorn tried to impress him with the idea that there must be some change of sentiment in the person from whom he expected the much-desired answer . So Halket wrote again , giving the letter , as before , to his master , who assured him it was sent carefully away ; and while it was crossing the Atlantic he was busy in improving his penmanship and arithmetic , under the hope held out to him by his master that he would , if he remained , be raised to a book-keeper 's desk ; for the planter had seen early that he had got hold of a long-headed , honest , sagacious `` Sawny , '' who would be of use to him . On with still lighter wing the intermediate time sped again , but with no better result in the shape of an answer from her who was still the object of his day fancies and his midnight dreams . Nor did all this kill his hope . A third letter was despatched , but the returning period was equally a blank . We have been counting by months , which , as they sped , soon brought round the termination of his year , and with growing changes too in himself ; for as the notion began to worm itself into his mind that his beloved Mary was either dead or faithless , another power was quietly assailing him from within , -- no other than ambition in the most captivating of all shapes -- Mammon .