midnight
Now that the dread spectre had risen out of the water and had its clutch on his hair , he realised that the world held much for him , and that even in exile he might work and love and enjoy God 's heaven and earth , the green fields and the blue sky . Not such skies as were above him now . No , this was not sky that overarched him , but a horrible vault in which the clouds , rushing in torn masses , had the aspect of demons stooping to contend for him with those other demons that with long arms and irresistible grip were dragging at him from below . He was alone on a whirling spar in the midst of a midnight ocean , but horror and a pitiless imagination made this conflict more than that of the elements , and his position an isolation beyond that of man removed from his fellows . He was almost mad . Yet he clung . Suddenly a better frame of mind prevailed .