midnight
Babbitt was proud of being awakened by such a rich device . Socially it was almost as creditable as buying expensive cord tires . He sulkily admitted now that there was no more escape , but he lay and detested the grind of the real-estate business , and disliked his family , and disliked himself for disliking them . The evening before , he had played poker at Vergil Gunch 's till midnight , and after such holidays he was irritable before breakfast . It may have been the tremendous home-brewed beer of the prohibition-era and the cigars to which that beer enticed him ; it may have been resentment of return from this fine , bold man-world to a restricted region of wives and stenographers , and of suggestions not to smoke so much . From the bedroom beside the sleeping-porch , his wife 's detestably cheerful `` Time to get up , Georgie boy , '' and the itchy sound , the brisk and scratchy sound , of combing hairs out of a stiff brush . He grunted ; he dragged his thick legs , in faded baby-blue pajamas , from under the khaki blanket ; he sat on the edge of the cot , running his fingers through his wild hair , while his plump feet mechanically felt for his slippers .