midnight
Anxiety , pain and shame overpowered her , and she fell fainting on the threshold . Frana summoned help ; but , before the monks came , Milena had recovered , and was sitting down on a bench to rest . In the meanwhile Uros was lingering on -- a kind of death in life ; the vital flame was flickering , but not entirely extinguished ; the ties that fastened the soul to life were still strong . Towards midnight he had sat up in his bed , and -- as the monks thought -- the Virgin and Christ had appeared to him , then he had , for some time , not given any further signs of consciousness . Nay , the monks were so sure the sufferer was passing away , that they , in fact , began reciting the prayers for the dying . They did so with much fervour , regarding Uros almost as a saint , for never had mortal man been so highly favoured by the Deity . Little by little , however , life , instead of ebbing away , seemed to return ; but the sufferer 's mind was quite lost .