Charles Dickens' revision avoids cliché in description of night (8)

I believe the answer is:

darkness

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'night' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Other definitions for darkness that I've seen before include "Black of night" , "Absence of illumination" , "Absence of light" , "Quality of the night" , "'Hello . . . . . . . ., my old friend' (Simon and Garfunkel song)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.

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