midnight
I had been awaiting the arrival of the Mal Poste for Marseilles , the passengers of which were expected to join the table d'hôte . For the last ten minutes I had been contemplating a dark , muddy court-yard beneath the window . The travellers having arrived and taken their seats at the table , I sat down , and was instantly startled by the face that I observed opposite to me , contrasted , as it chanced to be , with a dark unshaven one on either side of it . The salon was nearly as sombre as midnight , and there was a delicate and oval face , brightened by a pair of large soft eyes , `` with fire rolling at the bottom of them ! '' Long , long did I deplore my deficiency of the organ of language ; for with such a person for my _ vis-a-vis _ , I could open my mouth but to eat ! We are little aware how exclusively we derive our opinion of others from their appearance and manner , and so independently of the sentiments they utter . Until we live among those with whom we can not converse , it is impossible to be sensible of this truth ; but I am confident , from long experience , that it is the fact .