midnight
The door was again locked and bolted , but before Lermontoff had finished his soup , and bread and cheese , it was opened again . The gaoler placed a tin basin , similar to the former one , on the ledge , put a candle and a candle-stick on the table , and a tin cup beside them . `` I thought there was no part of Russia where bribery was extinct , '' said the Prince to himself , as the door closed again for the night . After supper Lermontoff again shined his table , stood upon it , lit his candle , and resumed his tunnelling , working hard until after midnight . His progress was deplorably slow , and the spraying of the rock proved about as tiring a task as ever he had undertaken . His second basin-full of solution was made a little stronger , but without perceptible improvement , in its effect . On ceasing operations for the night he found himself in a situation common to few prisoners , that of being embarrassed with riches .