eleven o’clock at night
Amidst the stream of life flowing from heaven and rising from the earth , amidst all the intoxication of the budding spring-time , the lovers sometimes regretted their winter solitude , the rainy evenings and the freezing nights , during which they had been so isolated so far from all human sounds . At present the days did not draw to a close soon enough , and they grew impatient with the lagging twilights . When the night had fallen sufficiently for Miette to climb upon the wall without danger of being seen , and they could at last glide along their dear path , they no longer found there the solitude congenial to their shy , childish love . People began to flock to the Aire Saint-Mittre , the urchins of the Faubourg remained there , romping about the beams , and shouting , till eleven o'clock at night . It even happened occasionally that one of them would go and hide behind the piles of timber , and assail Miette and Silvere with boyish jeers . The fear of being surprised amidst that general awakening of life as the season gradually grew warmer , tinged their meetings with anxiety . Then , too , they began to stifle in the narrow lane .