midnight
Then her triumph had been indubitable . But this time it was more significant , for the affair was less childish : it meant money , Milly was sure , -- much money . So every one said . At eight Milly was rescued by a party of friends and borne to a hotel in triumph for a dinner which lasted long after midnight . Her health was drunk again in real champagne ; speeches were made to impromptu toasts of `` The New Woman in Business -- God Bless Her . '' `` The Poetry of the Palate , '' `` The Creative Cake , '' etc. ... At ten Ernestine and her aides , having succeeded in gathering the débris and straightening out the place for the public opening the next morning , went wearily home to bed . She was told that it had been a great success ; she hoped that the enthusiasm would last ; but all these people had eaten `` a mighty sight of expensive stuff '' without paying for it , which seemed to the prosaic Ernestine `` bad business . ''