noon
It was plain now that the fever had seized upon them ; and where it would stop , who could tell ? During the night he and Ailwin watched by turns beside their sick companions . This would not have been necessary for Mildred ; but Roger was sometimes a little delirious ; and they were afraid of his frightening Mildred by his startings and strange sayings . When Ailwin came , at dawn , to take Oliver 's place , she patted him on the shoulder , and bade him go to sleep , and be in no hurry to rouse himself again ; for he would not be wanted for anything if he should sleep till noon . Oliver was tired enough ; but there was one thing which he had a great mind to do before he slept . He wished to look out once again from the staircase , when the sun should have risen , to see whether there was no moving speck on the wide waters -- no promise of help in what now threatened to be his extremity . Ailwin thought him perverse ; but did not oppose his going when he said he was sure he should sleep better after it .