midnight
That a man 's hat should outlast the man , and have a jaunty expression of triumph ! That a dead man 's shoes should mimic him ! The tall eight-day clock on the landing had run down . It had stopped at twelve , and it now stood with solemnly uplifted finger , as if imposing silence on those small , unconsidered noises which commonly creep out , like mice , only at midnight . The house was full of such stealthy sounds . The stairs creaked at intervals , mysteriously , as if under the weight of some heavy person ascending . Now and then the woodwork stretched itself with a snap , as though it had grown stiff in the joints with remaining so long in one position .