midnight
Maulevrier and Mary were playing billiards ; Fräulein Müller was sitting in her corner working at a high-art counterpane . Lesbia came in from the verandah presently , and sat on a low stool by her grandmother 's arm-chair , and talked to her in soft , cooing accents , inaudible to John Hammond , who sat a little way off turning the leaves of the _ Contemporary Review _ : and this went on till eleven o'clock , the regular hour for retiring , when Mary came in from the billiard-room , and told Mr. Hammond that Maulevrier was waiting for a smoke and a talk . Then candles were lighted , and the ladies all departed , leaving John Hammond and his friend with the house to themselves . They played a fifty game , and smoked and talked till the stroke of midnight , by which time it seemed as if there were not another creature awake in the house . Maulevrier put out the lamps in the billiard-room , and then they went softly up the shadowy staircase , and parted in the gallery , the Earl going one way , and his friend the other . The house was large and roomy , spread over a good deal of ground , Lady Maulevrier having insisted upon there being only two stories . The servants ' rooms were all in a side wing , corresponding with those older buildings which had been given over to Steadman and his wife , and among the villagers of Grasmere enjoyed the reputation of being haunted .