midnight
Nor will I ever forget my first Sunday -- the service was in English that week -- with the smell of the flowers coming in from Pastor Meder 's garden where the big peach tree is , and me looking at all the clean strangeness and thinking of ` tween decks on the Embuscade only six days ago . Being a boy , it seemed to me it had lasted for ever , and was going on for ever . But I did n't know Toby then . As soon as the dancing clock struck midnight that Sunday -- I was lying under the spinet -- I heard Toby 's fiddle . He 'd just done his supper , which he always took late and heavy . `` Gert , '' says he , `` get the horses . Liberty and Independence for Ever !