midnight
The words he said to her , Antonia never forgot . They sang in her heart like music , and led her on through many a difficult path . The conversation then turned upon money matters , and Antonia received the key of his study , and full directions as to the gold and papers secreted there . Then Isabel was awakened , and the rifle brought down ; and Paola saddled the fleetest horse in the stable , and after one solemn five minutes with his daughter , Robert Worth rode away into the midnight darkness , and into a chaos of public events of which no man living could forecast the outcome . Rode away from wife and children and home ; leaving behind him the love and labor of his lifetime -- `` The thousand sweet , still joys of such As hand in hand face earthly life . '' For what ? For justice , for freedom of thought and action , for the rights of his manhood , for the brotherhood of race and religion and country .