midnight
`` See , my good people , '' he continued solemnly , `` see ; he , whom you call the Balletmaster , Legénie , is no other than the evil , awkward genius , Thetel ; the other , whom you take for the Douanier , Leech , is the hateful bloodsucker , the Leech-Prince . Both are in love with the Princess , Gamaheh , who , as you know , is the daughter of the mighty king , Sekakis , and are here to make her false to the Thistle , Zeherit . This is the greatest folly that ever entered into a foolish brain , for , besides the Thistle , Zeherit , there is but one person in the world to whom she can belong , and this person would perhaps vainly enter into the contest with Zeherit . For soon the Thistle will bloom at midnight in full splendour and strength , and in the death of love dawns the morning of a higher life . Now , I myself am the Thistle , Zeherit , and , therefore , my good friends , you can not blame me if I am indignant with those traitors , and altogether take the whole affair much to heart . '' The three listeners opened their eyes wide , and stared , speechlessly , at Pepusch , with open mouths . They had tumbled out of the clouds , as people say , and their heads were humming with the fall .