eight
o'clock
It was a delicate question , an affair of nuances , of almost imperceptible graduations ; and in debating a matter of such nicety , a man must necessarily lay aside all petty irritation , such as being nettled by an irrational nickname , and approach the question with unbiased mind . He did . And when , at last , he had come warily to the verge of decision , Miss Musgrave in all innocence announced that they would excuse him if he wished to get back to his work . He discovered that , somehow , the three had finished supper ; and , somehow , he presently discovered himself in his study , where eight o'clock had found him every evening for the last ten years , when he was not about his social diversions . An old custom , you will observe , is not lightly broken . Subsequently : `` I have never approved of these international marriages , '' said Colonel Musgrave , with heat . `` It stands to reason , she is simply marrying the fellow for his title .