midnight
The mention of the grave brought back his thoughts from the dreaming channel into which they had flowed . Fanny , whose very childishness had once so soothed him , now disturbed ; he felt the want of that complete solitude which makes the atmosphere of growing passion : he muttered some scarcely audible excuse , and quitted the house . Fanny saw him no more that evening . He did not return till midnight . But Fanny did not sleep till she heard his step on the stairs , and his chamber door close : and when she did sleep , her dreams were disturbed and painful . The next morning , when they met at breakfast -LRB- for Vaudemont did not return to London -RRB- , her eyes were red and heavy , and her cheek pale . And , still buried in meditation , Vaudemont 's eye , usually so kind and watchful , did not detect those signs of a grief that Fanny could not have explained .