midnight
She opened her lips to shriek to her mother : but checked herself when she heard her stirring gently in the outer room . Her pulses throbbed too loudly at first for her to hear distinctly : but she felt that it was no moment for giving way to emotion ; by a strong effort of will , she conquered herself ; and then , with that preternatural acuteness of sense which some women possess , she could hear everything her mother was doing . She heard her put on her shawl , her bonnet ; she heard her open the front door gently . It was now long past midnight . Whither could she be going at that hour ? She heard her go gently to the left , past the window ; and yet her footfall was all but inaudible . No rain had fallen , and her shoes ought to have sounded on the hard earth .