midday
Next morning -- Saturday morning -- he wrote a letter , and sent Luke to the village to post it . Then he attended to some business relating to the pit . After that , he shut the door and bolted it . When the old man brought the midday meal he knocked in vain , and had to go away . Night closed in , and still there came no answer to the old man 's knock . When the sun had set the wind had risen . It threatened to be a tempestuous night .