midnight
He did not say who `` they '' were , and Malinkoff was not sufficiently curious to inquire . He knew that the priests were no longer the power in the land that they were in the old days , and that there had been innumerable cases where the villagers had risen and slaughtered the men whose words hitherto had been as a law to them . A third of the monasteries in the Moscow Government had been sacked and burnt , and their congregations and officers dispersed . He was surprised to find this beautiful chapel still intact , but he had not failed to notice the absence of the sacred vessels which usually adorned the altar , even in the midnight celebration . `` But can you do nothing for our little mama ? '' asked Malinkoff . The priest shook his head .