midnight
But without his being aware of it , his thoughts hearkened back , and when it came to his turn to answer he could not answer . He had been thinking of Nora , and , ashamed of his absentmindedness , he left them tying up their bundles and went towards the shore , stopping many times to admire the pale arch of evening sky with never a wind in it , nor any sound but the cries of swallows in full pursuit . ` A rememberable evening , ' he said , and there was such a lightness in his feet that he believed , or very nearly , that there were wings on his shoulders which he only had to open to float away whither he might wish to go . His brain overflowed with thankfulness and dreams of her forgiveness , and at midnight he sat in his study still thinking , still immersed in his happiness ; and hearing moths flying about the burning lamp he rescued one for sheer love of her , and later in the evening the illusion of her presence was so intense that he started up from his chair and looked round for her . Had he not felt her breath upon his cheek ? Her very perfume had floated past ! There ... it had gone by again !