midnight
And -- something much more unfortunate -- you see that table ? It happened the Russian New Year Eve , at supper . All the beauty , the whole capital , was here . Just at midnight the orchestra struck up the Bodje tsara krani * to inaugurate the joyful Russian New Year , and everybody stood up , according to custom , and listened in silence , as loyal subjects should . Well , at that table , accompanying his family , there was a young student , a fine fellow , very correct , and in uniform . This unhappy young student , who had risen like everybody else , to listen to the Bodje tsara krani , inadvertently placed his knee on a chair . Truly that is not a correct attitude , monsieur , but really it was no reason for killing him , was it now ?