midday
Now he was out again in the open country , where a faint light lying over the frosty fields showed that the moon was rising . Here and there lamps shone from the windows of houses along the road ; across the field came the bark of a dog , welcoming his master ; two old peasant women passed him in a creaking cart on their glad way home . At the top of the hill Jules stopped to take breath , leaning for a moment against the stone wall . He was faint from hunger , for he had been in the fields since early morning , with nothing for his midday lunch but a handful of boiled chestnuts . The smell of the fresh bread tantalized him beyond endurance . Oh , to be able to take a mouthful , -- just one little mouthful of that brown , sweet crust ! He put his face down close , and shut his eyes , drawing in the delicious odor with long , deep breaths .