midnight
Then for those hated garments of a raven my heart beat so high with gratitude that I moved again forward from the arm of His Excellency for fear that he might feel the tumult even through that strong towel of the bath which I had sewed above it , and be in wonderment as to its cause . `` Here 's to your first duel with a woman in which you use a man 's weapons , Roberta , Marquise of Grez and Bye , and see that you score -- for him -- and for France ! '' I said to myself as we rose from the table and with the other men I bowed the ladies from the room . `` At midnight , '' I whispered while I bent for a second to kiss the hand of the beautiful Madam Whitworth as she left the room . As I raised my head from the salutation I encountered the eyes of the Gouverneur Faulkner , which looked into mine with an expression of calm question . And for a moment I let the woman rise superior to the raven attire and I looked back into those eyes , in which I saw the mystery of the dawn star , as would have gazed Roberta , Marquise of Grez and Bye , had she been attired in the white tulle and lace abandoned in that New York ; then I beat her back down into my heart and gave him the smile of fealty that was his due from Robert Carruthers , his friend , along with one similar , to the fine young Buzz Clendenning , who at that moment came to my side and claimed my attention . `` You score with Sue .