noon
But never , never again would he favour his father with a friendly call in the corn-patch . This latter resolve appeared to him so satisfactory , the revenge so ample for the injury received , that he forgot the past and fairly danced through the fields , hopping sometimes on one foot and sometimes on the other . He crossed the brook and reached the large house almost to his own surprise . It was noon , and the full blaze of the sun flooded the valley with light . Not a breeze fanned the air , nothing stirred . No vibrations troubled the picture which the cliffs , the caves , the buildings , presented in the dazzling glare . The cliffs had lost their yellowish hue and appeared white , with every protuberance , every indentation , or cavity , marked by intense shadows .