midnight
She spoke still with that strange calm which her companion had wondered at from the beginning of their conversation . Her manner in the carriage seemed to be a part of the excitement of the evening 's performance , but now the cold calm of reaction had come on and she was very quiet . She had leaned back again in the big chair , and looked at Hannah gravely . Neither of them thought of sleep , and their faces expressed its nearness as little as if it were afternoon , instead of midnight . The last words uttered by Christine had presented a practical difficulty to her friend which her own experiences brought home to her forcibly , while they shut her off from a just sympathy with some of her other trials . `` What do you mean ? '' she said .