twelve o'clock
at night
Sometimes his eyes looked bloodshot , he flushed all over , and it seemed every minute as though he would rush out upon us all and scatter us like shavings in all directions ; but the young princess would glance at him , and shake her finger at him , and he would retire into his corner again . We were quite worn out at last . Even the old princess , though she was ready for anything , as she expressed it , and no noise wearied her , felt tired at last , and longed for peace and quiet . At twelve o'clock at night , supper was served , consisting of a piece of stale dry cheese , and some cold turnovers of minced ham , which seemed to me more delicious than any pastry I had ever tasted ; there was only one bottle of wine , and that was a strange one ; a dark-coloured bottle with a wide neck , and the wine in it was of a pink hue ; no one drank it , however . Tired out and faint with happiness , I left the lodge ; at parting Zinaïda pressed my hand warmly , and again smiled mysteriously . The night air was heavy and damp in my heated face ; a storm seemed to be gathering ; black stormclouds grew and crept across the sky , their smoky outlines visibly changing . A gust of wind shivered restlessly in the dark trees , and somewhere , far away on the horizon , muffled thunder angrily muttered as it were to itself .