midnight
With the sincerest friendship , Yours , LA PAGERIE-BONAPARTE . `` I wrote to-morrow , '' exclaimed Josephine . `` Shall I date it the 17th Brumaire ? '' `` You wo n't be wrong , '' said Bonaparte ; `` there 's midnight striking . '' In fact , another day had fallen into the gulf of time ; the clock chimed twelve . Bonaparte listened gravely and dreamily . Twenty-four hours only separated him from the solemn day for which he had been scheming for a month , and of which he had dreamed for years .