one o'clock in the morning
At Curzon Street they found the Dowager Countess and Venetia Birdbrook about to retire for the night . Teresa , Countess of Rochester , had already retired , and , though invited to the conference , refused to leave her room . Then , in the drawing-room with closed doors , Simms , relying on the intelligence of the women as a support , began , for the second time , his tale . He convinced the women , and by one o'clock in the morning , still standing by his guns after the fashion of the defenders of Bundlecund , the Duke had to confess that he had no more ammunition . Surrendered in fact . `` But what is to be done ? '' asked the distracted mother of the defunct .