midnight
She saw the twinkling light in the window of the old mill kitchen , she heard the trickling of the stream , and the sound of laughter and merry voices which issued from the wide open mill door . When she arrived there was Gethin busy with the sacks of corn , there was the hot kiln upon which the grain would be roasted , while ranged round it stood the benches which Jacob had prepared for the company . Already some of the young men and girls from the surrounding farms were dropping in to share in the evening 's amusement and work . Shan , the miller 's wife , was busy in the old kitchen with preparations for the midnight meal . Ebben Owens had caused a small cask of beer to be tapped , and Jacob was unremitting in his attentions to it during the night . `` Garthowen 's is worth calling a cynos , '' he said . `` He does n't forget how the flour gets into one 's throat and makes one thirsty .