midnight
Acton 's criminal state of mind , and his hunger after gold -- gold any how -- have earned some righteous retribution , unless Providence in mercy interpose ; and young Sir John , in nowise unblameable himself , with wealth to tempt the spoiler , lives in the spoiler 's very den ; and as to Jonathan and Grace , this world has many martyrs . If Heaven in its wisdom use the wicked as a sword , Heaven is but just ; but if in its vengeance that sword of the wicked is turned against himself , Heaven showeth mercy all unmerited . To a criminal like Jennings , let loose upon the world , without the clog of conscience to retard him , and with the spur of covetousness ever urging on , any thing in crime is possible -- is probable : none can sound those depths : and when we raise our eyes on high to the Mighty Moral Governor , and note the clouds of mystery that thunder round his Throne -- He may permit , or he may control ; who shall reach those heights ? MOREOVER , innocent of blood , as we know Roger Acton to be , appearances are strongly against him : and in such a deed as secret , midnight murder , which none but God can witness , multiplied appearances justify the world in condemning one who seems so guilty . The first impression against Roger is a bad one , for all the neighbours know how strangely his character had been changing for the worse of late : he is not like the same man ; sullen and insubordinate , he was turned away from work for his bold and free demeanor ; as to church , though he had worn that little path these forty years , all at once he seems to have entirely forgotten the way hither . He lives , nobody knows how -- on bright , clean gold , nobody knows whence : his daughter says , indeed , that her father found a crock of gold in his garden -- but she needs not have held her tongue so long , and borne so many insults , if that were all the truth ; and , mark this ! even though she says it , and declares it on her Bible-oath , Acton himself most strenuously denied all such findings -- but went about with impudent tales of legacy , luck , nobody knows what ; the man prevaricated continually , and got angry when asked about it -- cudgelling folks , and swearing like -- like any one but old-time `` honest Roger . ''