midnight
In due time the performance was brought to a close , and whether the door was softly opened , or whether her bodiless presence came through the wall , is more than I can say , but , all at once , without the young man 's knowing how it happened , a veiled figure stood in the centre of the room . It was one thing to be in presence of this mystery in the hall of exhibition , where the warm , dense life of hundreds of other mortals kept up the beholder 's courage , and distributed her influence among so many ; it was another thing to be quite alone with her , and that , too , with a hostile , or , at least , an unauthorized and unjustifiable purpose . I further imagine that Theodore now began to be sensible of something more serious in his enterprise than he had been quite aware of while he sat with his boon-companions over their sparkling wine . Very strange , it must be confessed , was the movement with which the figure floated to and fro over the carpet , with the silvery veil covering her from head to foot ; so impalpable , so ethereal , so without substance , as the texture seemed , yet hiding her every outline in an impenetrability like that of midnight . Surely , she did not walk ! She floated , and flitted , and hovered about the room ; no sound of a footstep , no perceptible motion of a limb ; it was as if a wandering breeze wafted her before it , at its own wild and gentle pleasure . But , by and by , a purpose began to be discernible , throughout the seeming vagueness of her unrest .