midnight
He had a box all ready , it seemed , and Oliver accepted for Alice before Montague could say a word for her . He spoke for himself , however , -- he had important work to do , and must be excused . He went upstairs and shook off his annoyance and plunged into his work . Sometime after midnight , when he had finished , he went out for a breath of fresh air , and as he returned he found Oliver and his friend standing in the lobby of the hotel . `` How do you do , Mr. Montague ? '' said Gamble . `` Glad to see you again . ''