midnight
The old merchant sank into a chair , trembling with both anger and chagrin , for he felt that he had been worsted in the encounter . He did regret the words as soon as spoken , and a certain rude sense of justice made him feel , even in his excitement , that his nephew , although an egregious fool of course , had been true to his sense of right and honor . He was assuredly the victim of a designing lot of women , but believing them to be true , his course had been manly , and the thought would come , `` Since he was so faithful to them , he would have been equally so to me , and he might have found the hussies out in time to prevent trouble . '' And now he had said words which in effect turned his brother 's son out of doors at midnight With something like a groan and an oath he resolved not to write that night , and to see how he felt in the morning . His nephew on provocation had proved as great a Tartar as he knew himself to be , and he now remembered that the former had some excuse in his hot young blood , and that he had a right to choose against his offer , if fool enough to do it , without being reviled and insulted . After a wretched night he found on the breakfast-table a brief , cold note from Roger , saying that he would inform him in a day or two where to send his effects and such part of his salary as remained unpaid . The old man frowned , and the Atwood pride and obstinacy took possession of him like evil spirits .