midnight
The clock of the little town of Menda had just struck midnight . At that moment a young French officer , leaning on the parapet of a long terrace which bordered the gardens of the chateau de Menda , seemed buried in thoughts that were deeper than comported with the light-hearted carelessness of military life ; though it must be said that never were hour , scene , or night more propitious for meditation . The beautiful sky of Spain spread its dome of azure above his head . The scintillation of the stars and the soft light of the moon illumined the delightful valley that lay at his feet .