midnight
The air was heavy with perfume from the pink and white chestnut blossoms . The roof dripped with moisture . Far down in the dark court the gas-jets flickered and flared . From the distance came the softened rumble of a midnight cab , which , drawing nearer and nearer and passing the hôtel with a rollicking rattle of wheels and laughing voices , died away on the smooth pavement by the Luxembourg Gardens . The voice had stopped capriciously in the middle of the song . Gethryn turned back into the room whistling the air . His eye fell on Satan sitting behind his bars in crumpled malice .