midnight
Anselmo told her she might be quite easy on the score of that suspicion , for he knew that Lothario was in love with a damsel of rank in the city whom he celebrated under the name of Chloris , and that even if he were not , his fidelity and their great friendship left no room for fear . Had not Camilla , however , been informed beforehand by Lothario that this love for Chloris was a pretence , and that he himself had told Anselmo of it in order to be able sometimes to give utterance to the praises of Camilla herself , no doubt she would have fallen into the despairing toils of jealousy ; but being forewarned she received the startling news without uneasiness . The next day as the three were at table Anselmo asked Lothario to recite something of what he had composed for his mistress Chloris ; for as Camilla did not know her , he might safely say what he liked . `` Even did she know her , '' returned Lothario , `` I would hide nothing , for when a lover praises his lady 's beauty , and charges her with cruelty , he casts no imputation upon her fair name ; at any rate , all I can say is that yesterday I made a sonnet on the ingratitude of this Chloris , which goes thus : SONNET At midnight , in the silence , when the eyes Of happier mortals balmy slumbers close , The weary tale of my unnumbered woes To Chloris and to Heaven is wont to rise . And when the light of day returning dyes The portals of the east with tints of rose , With undiminished force my sorrow flows In broken accents and in burning sighs . And when the sun ascends his star-girt throne , And on the earth pours down his midday beams , Noon but renews my wailing and my tears ; And with the night again goes up my moan . Yet ever in my agony it seems To me that neither Heaven nor Chloris hears . ''