midnight
Now and then in his frenzy he would fling himself against the walls of the place , beating his hands upon them . They cut him and bruised him -- they were cold and merciless as the men who had built them . In the distance there was a church-tower bell that tolled the hours one by one . When it came to midnight Jurgis was lying upon the floor with his head in his arms , listening . Instead of falling silent at the end , the bell broke into a sudden clangor . Jurgis raised his head ; what could that mean -- a fire ? God !