midnight
Ebie considered it therefore no disloyalty to Jess that he would display his watch-guard and other accomplishments to the young maids at the Crae . Nor indeed would Jess herself have so considered it . It was only Meg who was so particular that she did not allow such little practice excursions of this kind on the part of her young men . When Ebie started to go home , it was just midnight . As he came over the Grannoch bridge he saw the stars reflected in the water , and the long stretches of the loch glimmering pearl grey in the faint starlight and the late twilight . He thought they looked as if they were running down hill . His thoughts and doings that day and night had been earthly enough .