midnight
It was not without a sense of sadness that I watched the equipages as they rolled one by one from beneath the deep colonnade , and traversed the wide terrace , to disappear in the recesses of the dark forest . I strained my eyes to catch even a passing look at one who to me had made every walk and every alley a thing to love . But I could not see her ; and the last roll of the retiring wheels died away in the distance without one friendly voice to say adieu , one smile at parting . Though I had not participated in the festivities of the château , nor even been noticed by any of the guests , the absence of its gay world , the glitter of its brilliant cortege , the neighing steeds in all their bright panoply , the clank of military music , the gorgeously dressed ladies who strolled along its terraced walks , made the solitude that followed appear dark and desolate indeed ; and now , as I walked the park , whose avenues at noonday were silent as at midnight , the desertion imparted a melancholy feeling to my heart I could not explain . How often had I stopped beneath that balcony , striving to distinguish the soft tones of one gentle voice amid the buzz of conversation ! How had I watched the crowded promenade every evening upon the terrace , to see one figure there among the rest ! and when my eye had fallen upon her , how has it followed and traced her as she went !