midnight
Had been dead about ten minutes . `` She never spoke after you left her , Archibald . There was a slight struggle at the last , a fighting for breath , otherwise she went off quite peacefully . I felt sure , when I first saw her this afternoon , that she could not last till midnight . '' Lord Mount Severn , wondering greatly what the urgent summons could be for , lost no time in obeying it , and was at East Lynne the following morning early . Mr. Carlyle had his carriage at the station -- his close carriage -- and shut up in that he made the communication to the earl as they drove to East Lynne . The earl could with difficulty believe it .