noon
What were the smoky fires of earthly passion to his pure , keen flame , almost too strong for a heart of flesh to bear ? As he strove to realize what it was to be beloved by an immortal , the veil between time and eternity was melted by the hot breath of his passion , and the confines of the natural and the supernatural were confounded . As the east grew light he began to feel the weariness of the intense mental strain which had led up to , and culminated in , the transcendent experience of the previous evening . A tranquil happiness succeeded his exalted mood , and , lying down , he slept soundly till noon , when he went downstairs to find Miss Ludington anxiously waiting for him to reassure her that her recollection of the last night was not altogether a dream , as she had half convinced herself since waking . Paul had to go into Brooklyn to do some business for Miss Ludington that day , but the men he dealt with seemed to him shadows . After finishing with them he went over to New York , and presently found himself on East Tenth Street . He had not intended to go there .