noon
And the peace of night made her shiver . She dropped the letter into the box . Then only she had the clear vision of what she had done and of what the result would be . In the square , where the spring sun scattered its yellow roses , the bells at noon dispersed the rustic crowd of grain-merchants assembled to sell their wares . At the foot of the Lanzi , before the statues , the venders of ices had placed , on tables covered with red cotton , small castles bearing the inscription : ` Bibite ghiacciate ' . And joy descended from heaven to earth . Therese and Jacques , returning from an early promenade in the Boboli Gardens , were passing before the illustrious loggia .