midnight
In due time -- there 's a time , as I have said , for everything under the sun -- I spied a whitish rat , very puffed and scabby , which sat beneath the dormer of an attic through which shined our Lady the Moon . Whilst I looked on him -- and her -- she was moving towards old cold Saturn , her ancient ally -- the rat creeped languishingly into her light , and there , before my eyes , died . Presently his mate or companion came out , laid him down beside there , and in like fashion died too . Later -- an hour or less to midnight -- a third rat did e ' en the same ; always choosing the moonlight to die in . This threw me into an amaze , since , as we know , the moonlight is favourable , not hurtful , to the creatures of the Moon ; and Saturn , being friends with her , as you would say , was hourly strengthening her evil influence . Yet these three rats had been stricken dead in very moonlight . I leaned out of the window to see which of Heaven 's host might be on our side , and there beheld I good trusty Mars , very red and heated , bustling about his setting .