about midnight
He was very calm and quiet about it , did not at all give up hope , but assented when his sister said , `` May I write to St. George to come to you ? '' and sent a message in the letter , asking his brother to bring his wife and child . He seemed to be much better when they arrived , and for two or three days made good progress towards recovery ; but the doctors would not hear of his attempting to begin his journey , or even of his rising from the bed which had been brought down for him into the wide , old-fashioned parlour . And so it came to pass that Brandon found himself alone about midnight with Valentine , after a very comfortable day of little pain or discomposure . All the old intimacy had returned now , and more than the old familiar affection . Giles was full of hope , which was all the stronger because Valentine did not himself manifest that unreasonable hopefulness which in a consumptive patient often increases as strength declines . His will was signed , and in his brother 's keeping ; all his affairs were settled .