midnight
Oh , of course , there are those it brutalizes -- and there are those it stuns . But Desmond was one of the chosen . ' The night passed . The Squire came in after midnight , and took his place by the bed . Desmond was then restless and suffering , and the nurse in charge whispered to the Squire that the pulse was growing weaker . But the boy opened his eyes on his father , and tried to smile . The Squire sat bowed and bent beside him , and nurses and doctors withdrew from them a little -- out of sight and hearing .