midnight
So Christian could sleep with a somewhat lightened heart . In the morning there was surprise and conjecture when White Fell 's absence was discovered . Christian held his peace . Not even to his brother did he say how he knew that she had fled before midnight ; and Sweyn , though evidently greatly chagrined , seemed to disdain reference to the subject of Christian 's fears . The elder brother alone joined the bear hunt ; Christian found pretext to stay behind . Sweyn , being out of humour , manifested his contempt by uttering not a single expostulation . All that day , and for many a day after , Christian would never go out of sight of his home .