midnight
No crying yet , no sign of tears -- nothing but fresh young faces , bright eyes , and peals of laughter , as one by one the boats slid out into the fresh , green water of the bay , and the wind took them , and they shot into the night . Even the dogs on the quay frisked about , and barked as if they were going crazy with delight . In the midst of this happy scene , a man , wearing a monkey-jacket and a wide-brimmed soft hat , came up to the harbour with a little misshapen dog at his heels . He stood for a moment as if bewildered by the strange midnight spectacle before him . Then he walked through the throng of young people , and listened awhile to their talk and laughter . No one spoke to him , and he spoke to no one . His dog followed with its nose at his ankles .