---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At midnight when the fire had burnt down…"
description: "\"“At midnight when the fire had burnt down, and leaving the door wide open that she might have the lights behind her, she went through the dark hall, dr..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/enid-bagnold-12878_front-door_at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down_1157637.jpg"
---

#  At midnight when the fire had burnt down, and leaving the…

![“At midnight when the fire had burnt down, and leaving the door wide open that she might have the lights behind her, she went through the dark hall, drew back the bolts of the front door and took her letters to the post. The village green outside was white with moonlight. As she stepped on to it it…” quote by Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/enid-bagnold-12878_front-door_at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down_1157637.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/enid-bagnold-12878_front-door_at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down_1157637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/enid-bagnold-12878_front-door_at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down_1157637.jpg)

> ““At midnight when the fire had burnt down, and leaving the door wide open that she might have the lights behind her, she went through the dark hall, drew back the bolts of the front door and took her letters to the post. The village green outside was white with moonlight. As she stepped on to it it seemed a deck, her village ship a-sail on the slant of the world. The unknown and impersonal companion within her turned with a gulp, emitted a bubble of wind and revolved in its pond. "Do you never sleep?" she enquired aloud of her belly. The hemispheres whirled above the stillness, stars shone; down at human level the lamp in the churchyard gate was still as a star.””

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A solitary journey through night reveals inner fears and the mysterious connection between self and the cosmos.

**In simple terms:** Night travel forces confronting personal darkness and wonder.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty and listen to inner questions.

Themes

self‑discovery night mystery inner dialogue

Mood

reflective poetic introspective

Type

literary philosophical creative

When to use this quote

- night walks
- personal crises
- creative writing
- meditative practice

Key Concepts

existential reflection cosmic symbolism psychological introspection

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the darkness represent in your life?
- How does asking “Do you never sleep?” reveal inner anxieties?

A Different Perspective

The surreal tone may obscure practical lessons.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Front door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/front-door/) [Midnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midnight/) [Midnight Burnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midnight-burnt-3300111/) [Moonlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moonlight/) [Moonlight Stepped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moonlight-stepped-3300110/) [White Moonlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-moonlight-2220568/)

## Related quotes

> [“That night, there was a sliver of a moon over the des Michels farm. Jean put his horse in the stable after the trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-amory/that-night-there-was-a-sliver-of-a-moon-over-the-des-michels-farm/)

[Daniel Amory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-amory/)

> [“The marquis de Carabas looked up at him. His eyes were very white in the moonlight. And he whispered, "What's it like being dead?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-marquis-de-carabas-looked-up-at-him-his-eyes-were-very-white-in/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“walking down the street when the leaves were falling, and they came to a place where there were no trees and the sidewalk was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/walking-down-the-street-when-the-leaves-were-falling-and-they-came-to/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [ Are you happy?" she \[Clarisse\] said. "Am I what?" he \[Montag\] cried. But she was gone- running in the moonlight. Her front door shut… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/are-you-happy-she-clarisse-said-am-i-what-he-montag-cried-but-she-was/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [Tick Tock Now We're Knockin' on Midnight, Me and You Boy Are Runnin' Outta Moonlight &lt;3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tick-tock-now-we-re-knockin-on-midnight-me-and-you-boy-are-runnin/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Tis moonlight, summer moonlight, All soft and still and fair; The solemn hour of midnight Breathes sweet thoughts everywhere, But most where trees are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/tis-moonlight-summer-moonlight-all-soft-and-still-and-fair-the-solemn/)

[Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/)

> [“‎Pleasure is wild and sweet. She likes purple flowers. She loves the sun and the wind and the night sky. She carries a silver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-ruth-gendler/pleasure-is-wild-and-sweet-she-likes-purple-flowers-she-loves-the-sun/)

[J. Ruth Gendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-ruth-gendler/)

> [When moonlight french kisses the Manhattan midnight There's a not a face without a teardrop that's in sight Midnights in Manhattan keep me dreamin'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-lethal/when-moonlight-french-kisses-the-manhattan-midnight-there-s-a-not-a/)

[Mac Lethal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-lethal/)

> [Shining in the midnight moonlight, while the King sings love me tender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/shining-in-the-midnight-moonlight-while-the-king-sings-love-me-tender/)

[Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/)

> [“Love, be mystical as the flickering blue flame of night as the fully-awoken moon beneath cobwebs of passing clouds amidst chanting high-tides fuzzy, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanober-khan/love-be-mystical-as-the-flickering-blue-flame-of-night-as-the-fully/)

[Sanober Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanober-khan/)

> [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/)

[Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/)

> [If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/if-i-lose-the-light-of-the-sun-i-will-write-by-candlelight-moonlight/)

[Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/)

> [It is moonlight. Alone in the silence I ascend my stairs once more, While waves remote in pale blue starlight Crash on a white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-aiken/it-is-moonlight-alone-in-the-silence-i-ascend-my-stairs-once-more/)

[Conrad Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-aiken/)

> [“The snow wears moonlight like perfume.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-murdoch/the-snow-wears-moonlight-like-perfume/)

[Emily Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-murdoch/)

> [“When they stumbled together into a clearing, even in their panic the blue moonlight made it ethereal, like a fairy ring. But in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-anastasia/when-they-stumbled-together-into-a-clearing-even-in-their-panic-the/)

[Debra Anastasia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-anastasia/)

## More by Enid Bagnold

> [Isn't the fear of pain next brother to pain itself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/isn-t-the-fear-of-pain-next-brother-to-pain-itself/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [Pity is exhaustible. What a terrible discovery!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/pity-is-exhaustible-what-a-terrible-discovery/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [As for death one gets used to it, even if it's only other people's death you get used to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/as-for-death-one-gets-used-to-it-even-if-it-s-only-other-people-s/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [It's not till sex has died out between a man and a woman that they can really love. And now I mean affection. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/it-s-not-till-sex-has-died-out-between-a-man-and-a-woman-that-they/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [Let this serve as an axiom to every lover: A woman who refuses lunch refuses everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/let-this-serve-as-an-axiom-to-every-lover-a-woman-who-refuses-lunch/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [“She changed her position, contemplated a row od apple shrubs that she had put in last autumn at the bottom of the terrace, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/she-changed-her-position-contemplated-a-row-od-apple-shrubs-that-she/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [I am not a born writer, but I was born a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/i-am-not-a-born-writer-but-i-was-born-a-writer/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [Why do birds sing in the morning? It's the triumphant shout: 'We got through another night!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/why-do-birds-sing-in-the-morning-it-s-the-triumphant-shout-we-got/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [One can lie, but truth is more interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/one-can-lie-but-truth-is-more-interesting/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [In marriage there are no manners to keep up, and beneath the wildest accusations no real criticism. Each is familiar with that ancient child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/in-marriage-there-are-no-manners-to-keep-up-and-beneath-the-wildest/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [“He's old now. He goes about gathering up the women who loved him and getting a kick out of their consternation and vague distress.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/he-s-old-now-he-goes-about-gathering-up-the-women-who-loved-him-and/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [“They went together to the pond. The frogs, frozen by the movement, sat still. Fourteen golden eyes like nuggets gleamed unwinking from the margin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/they-went-together-to-the-pond-the-frogs-frozen-by-the-movement-sat/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [“Suddenly, as they walked with their buckets, it was not the child in each face that she sought, but the Wonder that had raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/suddenly-as-they-walked-with-their-buckets-it-was-not-the-child-in/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it's the answer to everything. ... It's the streaming reason for living. To note, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/who-wants-to-become-a-writer-and-why-because-it-s-the-answer-to/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

> [“And now, finished with that puzzling mixture of insane intimacy and isolation which is notoriety, Velvet was able to get on quietly to her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/and-now-finished-with-that-puzzling-mixture-of-insane-intimacy-and/)

[Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

[Explore all 52 Enid Bagnold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/)

## More Front door quotes

> [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/)

[Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Ethan! What on earth are you doing?" "Excuse us,please.It is very warm in here and my wife has begun to feel a little faint."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-martin/ethan-what-on-earth-are-you-doing-excuse-us-please-it-is-very-warm-in/)

[Kat Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-martin/)

> [“A loud, purposeful knock on the front door froze him in place with his fist over the fabric. “Hey, dude, it’s me. I brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-kincaid/a-loud-purposeful-knock-on-the-front-door-froze-him-in-place-with-his/)

[Kimberly Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-kincaid/)

> [“The headache from this emotional roller coaster known as Marcus DeLuca seemed to get worse. Seriously, it was so bad I could actually hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-montes/the-headache-from-this-emotional-roller-coaster-known-as-marcus/)

[E.L. Montes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-montes/)

> [I don't think it's a very Christian thing to come in by the back door rather than the front door,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-don-t-think-it-s-a-very-christian-thing-to-come-in-by-the-back-door/)

[Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/)

> [“So you’re going to ask Ress and Brullo to just leave a back door open so you can sneak in?” “Don’t be so simpleminded.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/so-you-re-going-to-ask-ress-and-brullo-to-just-leave-a-back-door-open/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [“People had always amazed him, he began. But they amazed him more since the sickness. For as long as the two of them had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/people-had-always-amazed-him-he-began-but-they-amazed-him-more-since/)

[Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/)

> [“But the disastrous walk reminded me that I had reached an age where only careful planning and a steady eye would keep me safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-darling/but-the-disastrous-walk-reminded-me-that-i-had-reached-an-age-where/)

[Lynn Darling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-darling/)

> [“There was no doorman outside Harrison Kinuye's house, just a Phillite senior leaning into a huge stone urn. He extricated himself as I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/there-was-no-doorman-outside-harrison-kinuye-s-house-just-a-phillite/)

[Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/)

> [“He strolled to the front door and stood watching, letting the picture of Felicity grave itself so deeply on his mind that when with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/he-strolled-to-the-front-door-and-stood-watching-letting-the-picture/)

[Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/)

> [“I lay there in the bath not thinking, not doing anything. After a few seconds, I heard her open the front door, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-lay-there-in-the-bath-not-thinking-not-doing-anything-after-a-few/)

[Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/)

> [“There was no ground-floor — its ground-floor belonged to a house in the next court, and the front door opened direct upon a flight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/there-was-no-ground-floor-its-ground-floor-belonged-to-a-house-in-the/)

[Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/)

> [“Cavernous windows opened in a silent scream on the face of the Gothic house that tilted on the crest of Foster Hill. Its gables…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-jo-wright/cavernous-windows-opened-in-a-silent-scream-on-the-face-of-the-gothic/)

[Jaime Jo Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-jo-wright/)

> [“Alma is in a painting phase, and the people she paints are all the color of mold, look like they've just been dredged from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/alma-is-in-a-painting-phase-and-the-people-she-paints-are-all-the/)

[Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/)

[Browse all 763 Front door quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/front-door/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“At midnight when the fire had burnt down, and leaving the door wide open that she might have the lights behind her, she went through the dark hall, drew back the bolts of the front door and took her letters to the post. The village green outside was white with moonlight. As she stepped on to it it seemed a deck, her village ship a-sail on the slant of the world. The unknown and impersonal companion within her turned with a gulp, emitted a bubble of wind and revolved in its pond. \"Do you never sleep?\" she enquired aloud of her belly. The hemispheres whirled above the stillness, stars shone; down at human level the lamp in the churchyard gate was still as a star.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Enid Bagnold"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down-and-leaving-the-door-wide/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Front door"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down-and-leaving-the-door-wide/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/enid-bagnold-12878_front-door_at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down_1157637.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/enid-bagnold-12878_front-door_at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down_1157637.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/enid-bagnold-12878_front-door_at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down_1157637.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“At midnight when the fire had burnt down, and leaving the door wide open that she might have the lights…” — Enid Bagnold",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Enid Bagnold",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“At midnight when the fire had...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down-and-leaving-the-door-wide/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/at-midnight-when-the-fire-had-burnt-down-and-leaving-the-door-wide/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
