midnight
The suspicion that if she married him she would marry him for her own ends caused him a secret disquiet , and he feared that one day , perhaps one morning at breakfast , she might take it into her intelligent head to mock him , to exercise upon him her gift of irony , and to intimate to him that if he fancied she was his slave he was deceived . That she sincerely admired him he never for an instant doubted . But -- And , moreover , the unfortunate episode of the afternoon might have cooled her ardour to freezing-point . He stood now in front of his worshipper , and the notion crossed his mind that in after-years he could say to his friends : ` I proposed to my wife at midnight under the moon . Not many men have done that . ' ` Good-evening , ' he ventured to the girl ; and he added with bravado : ` We 've met before to-day , have n't we ? ' She made no reply , but her smile was more affectionate , more inviting , than ever .