midnight
Grandpa might possibly have acted so toward a wife , but my father never , I am sure . '' He was really very fond of his little wife , loving her with a protecting love as something peculiarly his own , to be guided and moulded to suit his ideas and wishes , so that she might eventually become the perfectly congenial companion , capable of understanding and sympathizing in all his views and feelings , which he desired , but found that she was not yet . He began to fear she might never attain to that ; that perhaps his sudden marriage was a mistake that would ruin the happiness of both for life . Tormented thus , he turned restlessly on his pillow with many a groan and sigh , nor closed an eye in sleep till long past midnight . He was sleeping very soundly when , about sunrise , Zoe opened her eyes . She lay still for a moment listening to his breathing , while memory recalled what had passed between them previous to her retiring . `` And there he lies and sleeps just as soundly as if he had n't been playing the tyrant to the woman he promised to love and cherish to life 's end , '' she said to herself , with a flash of anger and scorn in her eyes .