nearly midnight
But , without , the wind tore unceasingly , laden with rain , through the gusty darkness of the little garden , and , in the pauses , the swift dripping from the roof splashed and splashed upon the paved walk . It was a very wild night , as Mr. Parker observed four times : he only hoped that no one would require a hansom cab . He had been foolish enough to take the responsibility tonight of letting the guests out himself , and of allowing William to go to bed when he wished . And these were late affairs , seldom over before eleven , and often not till nearly midnight . Mrs. Martin , in her blouse , moved a little nearer the fire , and said she must be off soon to bed ; Mrs. Mayle , in her black silk , added that there was no telling when her ladyship would get to bed , what with Mrs. Stapleton and all , and commiserated Miss Baker ; Miss Baker moaned a little in self-pity ; and Mr. Parker remarked for the fifth time that it was a wild night . It was an astonishingly serene and domestic atmosphere : no effort of imagination or wit was required from anybody ; it was enough to make observations when they occurred to the brain , and they would meet with a tranquil response . As half-past ten tinkled out from the little yellow marble clock on the mantelpiece -- it had been won by Mrs. Mayle 's deceased husband in a horticultural exhibition -- Mrs. Martin said that she must go and have a look at the scullery to see that all was as it should be ; there was no knowing with these girls nowadays what they might not leave undone ; and Mrs. Mayle preened herself gently with the thought that her responsibilities were on a higher plane .