nearly midnight
There 'll be a boom in South Africans again one of these days , and then I 'll see what I can do for you . '' Macalister was in the Kaffir market and often told them stories of the sudden fortunes that had been made in the great boom of a year or two back . `` Well , do n't forget next time . '' They sat on talking till nearly midnight , and Philip , who lived furthest off , was the first to go . If he did not catch the last tram he had to walk , and that made him very late . As it was he did not reach home till nearly half past twelve . When he got upstairs he was surprised to find Mildred still sitting in his arm-chair .