one o'clock
she exclaimed with a laugh , though he felt the cold edge of hatred in her voice . Still laughing , she went out and up the staircase , and a few minutes afterwards he heard her nervous step in the room above . He took out the bills again and spent half the night in the effort to realise the exact amount of his indebtedness . At breakfast Connie did not appear -- she had seemed to be asleep when he went into his dressing-room -- and it was not until one o'clock that he had a chance to speak to her again . Luncheon was already on the table when he entered the dining-room , and Connie , in a green velvet gown and a little green velvet hat ornamented by a twinkling aigrette , was standing by the window looking out restlessly at the falling snow . As he came in she went over to the table and began making tea with nervous hands . She was apparently in the highest spirits , and while she fumbled noisily with the cups and saucers she rambled on in her expressionless voice with tinkling interludes of her shrill , falsetto laughter .