midnight
I had not been heedful of the progress of the hours . I looked up at the tall , white , and graceful steeple of our ancient church , which towered in serene majesty above us ; but , in the imperfect light I failed to read the letters upon the dial-plate . At that moment its solemn chimes pealed forth the hour , as if especially in answer to my quest . How such sounds speak to the very soul at midnight ! They seem the voice from Time himself , informing , not man alone , but Eternity , of his progress to that lone night , in which his minutes , hours , days , and years , are equally to be swallowed up and forgotten . Sweet had been those bells to me in boyhood . Sad were they to me now .