About three o’clock in the morning
After a very excellent dinner , for which Mr. Gaynsforth insisted upon paying , they went to the Folies Bergeres , where the Englishman developed a thirst which , considering the coolness of the evening , was nothing short of amazing . Mr. Coulson , however , kept pace with him steadily , and toward midnight their acquaintance had steadily progressed until they were certainly on friendly if not affectionate terms . A round of the supper places , proposed by the Englishman , was assented to by Mr. Coulson with enthusiasm . About three o'clock in the morning Mr. Coulson had the appearance of a man for whom the troubles of this world are over , and who was realizing the ecstatic bliss of a temporary Nirvana . Mr. Gaynsforth , on the other hand , although half an hour ago he had been boisterous and unsteady , seemed suddenly to have become once more the quiet , discreet-looking young Englishman who had first bowed to Mr. Coulson in the bar of the Grand Hotel and accepted with some diffidence his offer of a drink . To prevent his friend being jostled by the somewhat mixed crowd in which they then were , Mr. Gaynsforth drew nearer and nearer to him . He even let his hand stray over his person , as though to be sure that he was not carrying too much in his pockets .