midnight
It was as if he had locked himself within a wall of ice , which nothing had power to thaw . He saw but little of Edith now ; the lessons had been tacitly given up , and , after what she had heard from Dr. Griswold , she could not come to Grassy Spring just as she used to do , so she remained at home , marvelling at the change in Arthur , and wondering if he really loved her , why he did not tell her so . Much of what Dr. Griswold had said she imputed to delirium , and with the certainty that she was beloved , she would not dwell upon anything which made her unhappy , and she waited for the end , now hastening on with rapid strides . Behind the icy wall which Arthur had built around himself , a fierce storm was blowing , and notwithstanding the many midnight watches kept over Dr. Griswold 's grave , the tempest still raged fearfully , threatening to burst its barriers and carry all before it . But it reached its height at last , and wishing to test his strength , Arthur asked Nina one pleasant night to go with him to Collingwood . She consented readily , and in a few moments they were on their way . They found the family assembled upon the broad piazza , where the full moon shone upon them through the broad leaves of woodbine twining about the massive pillars .