midnight
She smiled vaguely in Stonehouse 's direction , but she was only half conscious . Her hand strayed over the gorgeous quilt , stroking it with a kind of simple pleasure . -LRB- She was like that , too , he thought -- a dash of gay , unashamed colour in the sad scheme of things . -RRB- Towards midnight she motioned to him and whispered something that he could not understand . But the old woman rose heavily from her knees and went over to the gramophone , thrusting aside with savage resolution the nurse who tried to intercept her . Stonehouse himself made an involuntary gesture . `` Why not ? ''