five o'clock in the morning
There were numerous small alcoves in the wall , and in the recesses of each of these were huge pots of maidenhair fern . All along the oak-panelled walls at short intervals were placed old-fashioned brass sconces with candles in them , which shed a clear though subdued light on the dinner table and the faces of the guests , and brought into prominence the bright hues of the ladies ' gowns and the sparkling crystal and silver on the dinner table . At the head of the table sat Lord Severn , a hale , hearty old gentleman of seventy . He was devoted to fox-hunting , and always ready to get up at five o'clock in the morning when a good run was in prospect . His wife sat opposite him . She was a beautiful old lady , her face clear-cut as a cameo . Her features were regular , and her bright black eyes flashed under her high intellectual forehead with a brilliancy a girl of sixteen might have envied .