midnight
She really need not make such a fuss of the boy , he had done wrong hi any case ; the Braumüller matter must not be forgotten , he ought to have come openly -- but really , after all , it was only a stupidity , a thing that might happen ninety times out of every hundred . The man resolved to raise his monthly allowance by 100 marks , when he paid him on the first of the month . Then he would certainly have ample , and there could be no more talk of not being able to make both ends meet and of secrecy . It was already far past midnight when the parents and son at last parted . Käte stretched herself in her bed with a feeling of happiness she had not known for a long time : she would soon fall asleep ; she would not have to lie so long waiting for sleep to come to her , she felt so relieved , so reassured , so soothed . Things were working better now , everything would still be right at last . And she whispered softly to her husband : `` Paul ! ''