midnight
Oh , no ! he stands there in the glare of a lamp that hangs from a willow-tree . She vaults over the path , grasps his hand with a sister 's affection , and simultaneously the soft swelling music of `` Still so gently o'er me stealing ! '' floats in the air , as dulcet and soul-stirring as ever touched the fancy , or clothed with holy inspiration the still repose of a southern landscape at midnight . But she is with Maxwell ; they have passed the serenaders , -- liberty is the haven of her joy , it gives her new hopes of the future . Those hopes dispel the regrets that hover over her mind as she thinks of her child . For several minutes they stand together , listening to the music , and watching the familiar faces of old friends as they come upon the balcony in the second story .