midnight
He gave her a long glance and she returned it , but not ardently ; only curiosity was in her insistent gaze . `` Ah ! Youth is an alley ambuscaded by stars , '' he proclaimed . The phrase had cost him midnight labor . `` Do n't try to be epigrammatic , '' she retorted , `` it does n't suit your mental complexion . I 'll be glad , then , when my youth has passed . It 's a time of turmoil during which one ca n't really think clearly .