midnight
We walked down to the town by an exquisite path leading through dark , mysterious pine forests ; where the slim , straight trunks of the tall trees seemed tightly stretched , like the strings of a great harp , and where melancholy , elusive music was played always by the wind spirits . In Lucerne we did not , as Molly had suggested , ask everybody to stand and deliver information , but we compromised by visiting tourists ' bureaux . At these places the verdict was an echo of our landlord 's , and I saw that Molly and Jack were glad . Having scented powder , they would have been disappointed if the midnight battle need not be fought . Molly had never seen Lucerne , which was too beautiful for a fleeting glance . It was arranged that , after driving me over the Pass , for weal or woe , they should return . They would leave most of their luggage at the Sonnenberg , and come back to spend some days , before continuing their tour as originally mapped out .