midnight
He found himself out in the dark on the south , the village side ; he had to skirt round the backs of the houses and then slip up the river bank till he came to the bridge between the long rows of whispering , rustling poplars . After that a short cut across the fields , where he knew every bush and every rabbit hole , brought him up under the shadow of the church at La Marinière . The Curé lived with his old housekeeper in a low white house above the church , on the way to the manor . She was always asleep early ; but the old man , being very studious and too nervous to sleep much , often sat up reading till long after midnight . Angelot therefore counted on finding a light in his window , and was not disappointed . He cut his old friend 's eager welcome very short . `` Monsieur le Curé , come with me at once to the château , if you please .