Eleven o'clock
Having thrown a little balm upon the wound of the paternal heart , he pulled the ear of Grimaud , whose eyes sparkled more than usual , and regained his escort in the _ parterre _ . The horses , rested and refreshed , set off with spirit through this beautiful night , and soon placed a considerable distance between their master and the chateau . Athos and Bragelonne were again face to face . Eleven o'clock was striking . The father and son preserved a profound silence toward each other , where an intelligent observer would have expected cries and tears . But these two men were of such a nature that all emotion plunged itself where it was lost forever when they had resolved to confine it to their own hearts . They passed , then , silently and almost breathlessly the hour which preceded midnight .