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 the lovely 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 towards each other , where an intelligent observer would have expected cries and tears . But these two men were of such a nature that all emotion following their final resolutions plunged itself so deep into their hearts that it was lost forever . They passed , then , silently and almost breathlessly , the hour that preceded midnight .