midnight
`` Why , Billy , what 's the matter ? '' he broke off , in quite a different tone of voice . And then a curious thing happened . Billy , who , a minute before , had been seeing only a dear , noble , adorable , _ lost _ Bertram , saw now suddenly only the man that had stayed _ happily _ till midnight with two friends , while she -- she -- `` Matter ! Matter ! '' exclaimed Billy sharply , then . `` Is this what you call staying to dinner , Bertram Henshaw ? ''