midnight
While I sat there , I thought drowsily of many things -- of the various financial schemes in which I was now involved ; of the big railroad deal which I had refused to shirk and which meant possible millions ; of the fact that the General was rapidly aging , and had already spoken of resigning the presidency of the Great South Midland and Atlantic . Then there flashed before me suddenly , in the midst of my business reflections , the look with which Sally had regarded me that morning while she lay , in her blue satin jacket , on the embroidered pillows . `` How alike all the Blands are , '' I thought sleepily , as I threw the end of my cigar out into the garden and rose to go upstairs to bed ; `` I never noticed until of late how much Sally is growing to resemble her Aunt Matoaca . '' At midnight , after two hours ' restless sleep , I awoke to find her standing before the bureau , in a gown of silver gauze , which gave her an illusive appearance of being clothed in moonlight . When I called her , and she turned and came toward me , I saw that there was a brilliant , unnatural look in her face , as though she had been dancing wildly or were in a fever . And this brilliancy seemed only to accentuate the sharpened lines of her features , with their suggestion of delicacy , of a too transparent fineness . `` You were asleep , Ben .