midnight
`` Are n't we , though ! '' breathed his brother , pulling the end of the Burberry over Kirk 's shoulders . * * * * * The sun is a good thing . It clears away not only the dark shadows in the corners of empty rooms , but also the gloom that settles in anxious people 's minds at midnight . The rising of the sun made , to be sure , small difference to Kirk , whose mind harbored very little gloom , and was lit principally by the spirits of those around him . Consequently , when his brother and sister began reveling in the clear , cold dawn , Kirk executed a joyous little _ pas seul _ in the middle of the living-room floor and set off on a tour of exploration . He returned from it with his fingers very dusty , and a loop of cobwebs over his hair .