midnight
Meanwhile , the crowd melted and vanished , leaving him alone in the blurred yellowish light beneath the low-hanging roof of impenetrable gloom , save for the haunting presence of some few of those terrible human birds of prey . He was about to turn away also , not particularly relishing the remaining company , when , with a rush , Poppy was beside him , in stately garments of black velvet and glimmering tissue of silver ; her head and shoulders draped with something of daring and magnificence , in her blue-purple jewelled dragon-embroidered scarf . She caught Iglesias ' right hand in both of hers and held it a moment against her breast . And during that brief interval he registered the fact that , notwithstanding her beauty , the force of her personality and richness of her dress , she did not look out of place in this somewhat cut-throat alley , with the questionable sights and sounds of midnight London all about her ; but vivid , exultant , true daughter of great cities , fearless manipulator of the very varied opportunities they offer , past-master , for joy and sorrow , in the curious arts they teach . `` Get into the brougham , dear man , '' she said , `` and let me talk . There , put up the window on the traffic side . I have been in the liveliest worry about you .