midnight
Donald stopped , and stepped hastily back out of sight ; but not before he had seen the man 's arms gather the slender form of the girl in close embrace , and seen her lift her sweet young face -- tear-bejeweled , but smiling with the tenderness of love -- for his kiss . With the rocks put between him and the two , Donald stood for a moment with clenched fists pressed brutally against his eyes as though to grind out the picture recorded there . Then , with blind but nervous strides , he fled from the spot which , at the one time , held such happiness and such despair . It was close to midnight when his steps bore him instinctively back to the unlighted house ; but this time the exercise and the cool night air had failed to bring relief to his heart . He could not face the idea of tossing for hours on a sleepless bed , and so passed the front door and seated himself within the dark shadows of a corner of the piazza . `` Chirr-r-p , chirr-r-p , chirr-r-p , '' began a pleasantly shrill little voice beneath him . Over and over it repeated the sound , until the man 's feverish imagination had made it into `` cheer-up , '' and he cursed the cricket for its silly advice .