about midnight
But this daring thought faded very soon , for there did n't seem to be any dinner parties ahead . Mrs. Newbolt 's supper table was , as Maurice said , sarcastically , the extent of the `` Curtises ' social whirl '' -- a fact which did not trouble him in the least ! He had his own social whirl . He had made a man-circle for himself ; some of the fellows in the office were his sort , he told Edith , and it was evident that their bachelor habits appealed to him , for he dined out frequently ; and when he did , he was careful not to tell Eleanor where he was going , because once or twice , when he had told her , she had called up the club or house on the telephone about midnight to inquire if `` Mr. Curtis had started home ? '' ... `` I was worried about you , it was so late , '' she defended herself against his irritated mortification . He used to report these stag parties to Edith , telling her some of the stories he had heard ; it did n't occur to him to tell any stories to Eleanor , because , as Henry Houghton had once said , Maurice and his wife did n't `` have the same taste in jokes . '' When Edith chuckled over this or that witticism -LRB- or frowned at any opinion contrary to Maurice 's opinion ! -RRB-