midnight
As these pauses always took place when she was near the wall behind which I crouched , I frequently heard her breath , which came heavily , and once the rustle of her gown . But I did not stir . As long as her uneasy form flitted about the room , I clung to the partition , listening , determined that nothing should move me -- not even my own terrors . And though night presently merged into midnight , and the silence and horror of the spot became frightful , I kept my post , for the stealthy tread continued , and so did the desultory scraps of conversation , which proved that , if the mother was waiting for the daughter to sleep , the daughter was equally waiting for the mother to retire . And so daylight came , and with it exhaustion to more than one of us three watchers . And this is the record of the first night spent by me in the secret chamber . -LSB- Illustration : E -RSB- Events crowd .