midnight
The band thought no worse of Stair for trying to throw dust in their eyes , but an Isle of Man shipper in possession of two spirited Castle Raincy horses was too much for them . They laughed as they rode and wondered how the heir of Raincy would explain matters to the Earl if the business culminated in a tussle . But Louis had come out all safe , and though he openly flouted the Free Trade with the young men of his own rank , there was no part of his past , except only his talks with Patsy in the hollow of the old beech bole , which returned to him with such a flavour of fresh , glad youth as the `` run '' in which he had taken part . So now that he was again to do something which would lead him out on the hills of heather in the misty shining of the moon or under the plush-spangled glitter of the midnight stars , he went off in high spirits to take his groom into his confidence and have the horses ready . Obscurely , however , he felt that he was about to take part in a struggle for Patsy . It was to be a fight , not so much against danger from unscrupulous dandies like the Duke of Lyonesse and his acolyte , my Lord of Wargrove , as between Stair and himself . Louis de Raincy himself was `` of as good blood as the King , only not so rich , '' as say the Spaniards .