about nine o'clock in the evening
`` A day 's shooting is one of the things we take seriously , and manners are not at a higher premium here than I suppose they are in the wilds . '' Lisle made no response , and there was silence on the sun-steeped moor until a row of small dark objects skimming the crest of the ridge above became silhouetted against the sky . Then a gun cracked away to the right and in another moment a dropping fusillade broke out . It was about nine o'clock in the evening , and Gladwyne 's somewhat noisy guests were scattered about his house and the terrace in front of it . Several of them had gathered in the hall , and Bella Crestwick , Lisle 's companion on the moors , stood , cigarette in hand , with one foot on the old-fashioned hearth-irons , frankly discussing him . A few birch logs glowed behind the bars , for on those high uplands the autumn nights were chilly , but the wide door stood open , revealing a pale green band of light behind the black hills , and allowing the sweet , cool air of the moors to flow in . The girl had gained something by the change from her outdoor attire to the clinging evening dress , but it was with characteristic unconcern that she disregarded the fact that the thin skirt fell well away from one shapely ankle effectively displayed by a stocking of the finest texture .