midnight
Mrs. Peyton , whose tact had divined the cause of his estrangement , would not for an instant let it affect the friendship of the two young men . She encouraged Dick to frequent Darrow , in whom she divined a persistency of effort , an artistic self-confidence , in curious contrast to his social hesitancies . The example of his obstinate capacity for work was just the influence her son needed , and if Darrow would not come to them she insisted that Dick must seek him out , must never let him think that any social discrepancy could affect a friendship based on deeper things . Dick , who had all the loyalties , and who took an honest pride in his friend 's growing success , needed no urging to maintain the intimacy ; and his copious reports of midnight colloquies in Darrow 's lodgings showed Mrs. Peyton that she had a strong ally in her invisible friend . It had been , therefore , somewhat of a shock to learn in the course of time that Darrow 's influence was being shared , if not counteracted , by that of a young lady in whose honour Dick was now giving his first professional tea . Mrs. Peyton had heard a great deal about Miss Clemence Verney , first from the usual purveyors of such information , and more recently from her son , who , probably divining that rumour had been before him , adopted his usual method of disarming his mother by taking her into his confidence . But , ample as her information was , it remained perplexing and contradictory , and even her own few meetings with the girl had not helped her to a definite opinion .