noon
The chain of young folks disconnected for a moment , was reformed , and twisted in and out among the trees ; sometimes in light , sometimes in shadow , until they disappeared , singing , into the very heart of the forest . With the exception of Pere Theotime and his wife , who had gone to superintend the furnace , all the guests , including Claudet , had joined the gay throng . Reine and Julien , the only ones remaining behind , stood in the shade near the borderline of the forest . It was high noon , and the sun 's rays , shooting perpendicularly down , made the shade desirable . Reine proposed to her companion to enter the hut and rest , while waiting for the return of the dancers . Julien accepted readily ; but not without being surprised that the young girl should be the first to suggest a tete-a-tete in the obscurity of a remote hut . Although more than ever fascinated by the unusual beauty of Mademoiselle Vincart , he was astonished , and occasionally shocked , by the audacity and openness of her action toward him .