midnight
He lit her candle for her and carried it to the steps where he kissed her again . `` My little girl , '' he whispered . The house grew still . Out on the landing the tall clock ticked off the hours to midnight ; the fire died to an ember ; from the porch without came the drip , drip , drip of the gutter . Still the Colonel sat in his split-bottom chair , his little eyes like watch fires in the gloom , listening for the faintest sound of restlessness from the room above . The sudden light of publicity that had fallen upon the Cant-Pass-It saloon sent a glow over that entire region of Billy-goat Hill . Everybody had something to talk about , and everybody talked , except Chick .