midnight
They sat down at one of the little tables that were in a row parallel to the bar and ordered beer . They blinked stolidly at the decorations , the bartender , and the other customers . When anything transpired they discussed it with dazzling frankness , and what they said of it was as free as air to the other people in the place . At midnight there were few people in the saloon . Patsy and his friends still sat drinking . Two well-dressed men were at another table , smoking cigars slowly and swinging back in their chairs . They occupied themselves with themselves in the usual manner , never betraying by a wink of an eyelid that they knew that other folk existed .