one o’clock
He left the billiard-room with the certainty that it was all over now between Geoffrey and himself . Not even the attraction of Blanche proved strong enough to detain him that night . He went his way to bed . It was past one o'clock . The final rubber was at an end , the accounts were settled at the card-table ; the surgeon had strolled into the billiard-room , and Smith and Jones had followed him , when Duncan came in , at last , with the telegram in his hand . Blanche turned from the broad , calm autumn moonlight which had drawn her to the window , and looked over her uncle 's shoulder while he opened the telegram . She read the first line -- and that was enough .