midnight
She had been purged by the fire of the war of all resentments , jealousies , harsh judgments , and came forth pure gold ... . Leonard had been the great love of her life . If you can not see now why she married Willie Connor , gave him all that her generous heart could give , and after his death was irresistibly drawn back to Boyce , I have written these pages in vain . A few minutes before midnight Marigold entered with a tray bearing a cake or two , a pint of champagne and a couple of glasses . While he was preparing to uncork the bottle Betty slipped from the room and returned with another glass . `` For Sergeant Marigold , '' she said . She opened the French window behind the drawn curtains and listened .