midnight
It was that divine first moment when the whole of earth seems to take a leap in the night ; when things are literally new every morning . Arnold walked abroad late , filling his lungs and nostrils and subduing his pulses . He was always faunishly wild in the spring ; and for years he had n't had a chance to seek the season in her haunts . But he turned in before midnight , because he dreaded the next day supremely . He did n't want to meet that face to face until he had to . Melora Meigs lowered like a thunderstorm , but she was held in check by the nurse . I suppose Melora could n't give notice : there would be nothing but the poor-farm for her if she did .