midnight
Never , Hyacinth protested , had her husband been so sullen and ferocious . `` He is not like an angry man , '' she told Angela , `` but like a wounded lion ; and yet , since your goodness took all the blame of my unlucky escapade upon your shoulders , and he knows nothing of De Malfort 's insolent attempt to carry me off , I see no reason why he should have become such a gloomy savage . '' She accepted her sister 's sacrifice with an amiable lightness . How could it harm Angela to be thought to have run out at midnight for a frolic rendezvous ? The maids of honour had some such adventure half a dozen times in a season , and were found out , and laughed at , and laughed again , and wound up their tempestuous careers by marrying great noblemen . `` If you can but get yourself talked about you may marry as high as you choose , '' Lady Fareham told her sister . * * * * * Early in November they went back to London , and though all Hyacinth 's fine people protested that the town stank of burnt wood , smoked oil , and resin , and was altogether odious , they rejoiced not the less to be back again .