midnight
The book in question , however , was no other than the treatise of Doctor Tilingius upon the rhubarb plant , published in Germany in 1679 . It was by no means certain that Gilliatt did not prepare philters and unholy decoctions . He was undoubtedly in possession of certain phials . Why did he walk abroad at evening , and sometimes even at midnight , on the cliffs ? Evidently to hold converse with the evil spirits who , by night , frequent the seashores , enveloped in smoke . On one occasion he had aided a witch at Torteval to clean her chaise : this was an old woman named Moutonne Gahy . When a census was taken in the island , in answer to a question about his calling , he replied , `` Fisherman ; when there are fish to catch . ''