noon
The pleasant sensation of having championed a good cause , and the delightful consciousness of success were not new to him , but he had rarely felt so uplifted as now . He most ardently longed for his next meeting with Barine , and imagined how he would describe what had happened and claim her gratitude for his friendly service . The scene had risen clearly before his mind , but scarcely had the radiant vision of the future faded when the unusually bright expression of his manly face was clouded by a grave and troubled one . The darkness of the night , illumined only by the flare of the pitch-pans , had surrounded him , yet it had seemed as if he were standing with Barine in the full light of noon in the blossoming garden of his own palace , and , after asking a reward for his sturdy championship , she had clung to him with deep emotion , and he had passionately kissed her tearful face . The face had quickly vanished , yet it had been as distinct as the most vivid picture in a dream . Was Barine more to him than he supposed ? Had he not been drawn to her , during the past few months , by the mere charm of her pliant intellect and her bright beauty ?