midnight
I did not dare to follow . After waiting some time , and listening till all was quiet in the house , I could bear the suspense no longer and went out . I thought I should find him on the Flat -- probably in his favourite walk , his `` terrace , '' as he called it , where he had first seen , and must have seen many a day after , that girlish figure tripping lightly along through the morning sunshine and morning dew . I had a sort of instinct that he would be there now ; so I climbed up the shortest way , often losing my footing ; for it was a pitch-dark night , and the common looked as wide , and black , and still , as a midnight sea . John was not there ; indeed , if he had been I could scarcely have seen him ; I could see nothing but the void expanse of the Flat , or , looking down , the broad river of mist that rolled through the valley , on the other side of which twinkled a few cottage lights , like unearthly beacons from the farthest shore of an impassable flood . Suddenly I remembered hearing Mrs. Tod say that , on account of its pits and quarries , the common was extremely dangerous after dark , except to those who knew it well . In a horrible dread I called out John 's name -- but nothing answered .