midnight
And there goes his eighty thousand ! ' Cecilia 's heart beat fast . She had no defined cause for its excitement . Colonel Halkett returned to Mount Laurels close upon midnight , very tired , coughing and complaining of the bitter blowing East . His guests shook hands with him , and went to bed . ` I think I 'll follow their example , ' he said to Cecilia , after drinking a tumbler of mulled wine . ` Have you nothing to tell me , dear papa ? '