midnight
Her bones and muscles ached . The spring languor also was upon her . She was not a strong woman , but she never dreamed of refusing to go to Ann Edwards 's and assist her in her sad preparations . She and Belinda Lamb remained and worked until midnight ; then they went home . Jerome had to escort them through the silent village street -- he had remained up for that purpose . Elmira had been sent to bed . When the boy came home alone along the familiar road , between the houses with their windows gleaming with blank darkness in his eyes , with no sound in his ears save the hoarse bark of a dog when his footsteps echoed past , a great strangeness of himself in his own thoughts was upon him .