midnight
Mysie watched the twining and intertwining of the roses , as they reached upward toward the ceiling through a maze of woodbine and red carnations , and noted that the curtains upon the bed were the same as they were when she had last slept there . The old wag-at-the-wa ' clock which had belonged to her grandfather , wheezed wearily from the corner and the shrill eerie call of a courting cat outside broke familiarly upon her ear . Thus surrounded by the sights and sounds of old , a glad contentment in her heart , she soon dozed off into a deep sleep . When Mrs. Sinclair went home just as midnight was striking she found Robert sitting by the fire wondering at her absence . He had just returned from a meeting at a neighboring village , and finding his brothers and sisters all in bed and his mother not in the house with his tea ready for him as usual , he wondered what was the matter . `` I was owre at Matthew 's , '' she replied in answer to the question she knew he was going to ask . `` Is he waur the nicht ? ''