midnight
It is curious how habits complicate life . Here were two people whom it would greatly inconvenience to separate . Yet just because it was a custom to close the license bureau in the late afternoon they must wait half a night while the license clerk slept and snored , or played cards or read detective stories or did whatever license clerks do between midnight and office hours . And just because people habitually crawl into bed and sleep between midnight and forenoon , these two lovers were already finding it hard to keep awake in spite of all their exaltation . They simply must sleep . Romance could wait . Gilfoyle knew that there were places enough where Kedzie and he could go and have no questions asked except , `` Have you got baggage , or will you pay in advance ? ''