midnight
Could he not come out first in the Kingsmill district ? He worked vigorously at special subjects ; aid was needless , but he wished for more leisure . Not a word to any member of his household . When his mother discovered that he was reading in the bedroom till long past midnight , she made serious objection on the score of health and on that of gas bills . Godwin quietly asserted that work he must , and that if necessary he would buy candles out of his pocket-money . He had unexpectedly become more grave , more restrained ; he even ceased to grumble about going to church , having found that service time could be utilised for committing to memory lists of dates and the like , jotted down on a slip of paper . When the time for the examination drew near , he at length told his mother to what end he had been labouring , and asked her to grant him the assistance necessary for his journey and the sojourn at Kingsmill ; the small sum he had been able to save , after purchase of books , would not suffice .