midnight
said Hewet , and they clasped hands and swept off magnificently into the great swirling pool . Although this was only the second time they had met , the first time they had seen a man and woman kissing each other , and the second time Mr. Hewet had found that a young woman angry is very like a child . So that when they joined hands in the dance they felt more at their ease than is usual . It was midnight and the dance was now at its height . Servants were peeping in at the windows ; the garden was sprinkled with the white shapes of couples sitting out . Mrs. Thornbury and Mrs. Elliot sat side by side under a palm tree , holding fans , handkerchiefs , and brooches deposited in their laps by flushed maidens . Occasionally they exchanged comments .