Midnight
Very often did she try Olive 's patience thus ; but the faithful daughter always remembered those last words , `` Take care of Christal . '' So , excusing all , she tended the young sufferer carefully until midnight , and then went down-stairs secretly to perform a little act of self-denial , by giving up an engagement she had made for the morrow . While writing to renounce it , she felt , with a renewed sense of vague apprehension , how keen a pleasure it was she thus resigned -- a whole long day in the forest with her pet Ailie , Ailie 's grandmamma , and -- Harold Gwynne . Midnight was long past , and yet Olive sat at her desk ; she had finished her note to Mrs. Gwynne , and was poring over a small packet of letters carefully separated from the remainder of her correspondence . If she had been asked the reason of this , perhaps she would have made answer that they were unlike the rest -- solemn in character , and secret withal . She never looked at them but her expression changed ; when she touched them she did it softly and tremulously , as one would touch a living sacred thing . They were letters which at intervals during his various absences she had received from Harold Gwynne .