midnight
Of what greater use could any person be in this world ? George retired to prepare for dinner , and Marna to settle the baby for the night , and Kate went on with the preparations for the meal , while her thoughts revolved like a Catherine wheel . There were the chops yet to cook , for George liked them blazing from the broiler , and there was the black coffee to set over . This latter was to fortify George at his post , for it was agreed that he was not to sleep lest he should fail to awaken at the need and demand of the beloved potentate in the cradle ; and Marna now needed a little stimulant if she was to keep comfortably awake during a long evening -- she who used to light the little lamps in the windows of her mind sometime after midnight . They had one of those exclamatory dinners where every one talked about the incomparable quality of the cooking . The potatoes were after a new recipe , -- something Spanish , -- and they tasted deliciously and smelled as if assailing an Andalusian heaven . The salad was _ piquante _ ; the trifle vivacious ; Kate 's bonbons were regarded as unique , and as for the coffee , it provoked Marna to quote the appreciative Talleyrand : -- `` Noir comme le diable , Chaud comme l'enfer , Pur comme un ange , Doux comme l'amour . ''