midnight
Ca n't you see I 'm tired out ? Let 's stay where we are . '' `` All right . But I can tell you that at this rate we sha 'n' t get anything till midnight ! '' Still Pargeter sat down again , and fortunately there soon came up a waiter who had known the great sportsman elsewhere ; and a moment later he was absorbed in the amusing occupation of making out a careful menu from a new bill of fare . During the long course of the meal , Vanderlyn listened silently to Pargeter 's conjectures concerning Peggy 's disappearance -- conjectures broken by lamentations over the contretemps which had made it impossible for him to leave Paris that day . Absorbed as he was in himself and his own grievances , Pargeter was yet keenly aware when his companion 's attention seemed in any way to wander , and at last there came a moment when , leaving his cup of black coffee half full , he pushed his chair away with a gesture of ill-temper .