midnight
The door closed behind the older man . Abel sat in his chair , intently thinking . His uncle 's words rang in his memory . But as he recalled the tone , the raised finger , the mien , with which they had been spoken , the young man looked around him , and seemed half startled and frightened by the stillness , and awe-struck by the midnight hour . He moved his head rapidly and arose , like a person trying to rouse himself from sleep or nightmare . Passing the mirror , he involuntarily started at the haggard paleness of his face under the clustering black hair . He was trying to shake something off .