nearly midnight
His better nature , however , soon asserted itself , and even when Sybil flung herself weeping into his arms , he did not falter . The beauty that stirred his senses had touched his conscience also . He felt that to wreck so fair a life for the sake of a few months ' pleasure would be a wrong thing to do . He stayed with Sybil till nearly midnight , comforting her and being comforted in turn , and early the next morning he left for Venice , after writing a manly , firm letter to Mr. Merton about the necessary postponement of the marriage . IN Venice he met his brother , Lord Surbiton , who happened to have come over from Corfu in his yacht . The two young men spent a delightful fortnight together . In the morning they rode on the Lido , or glided up and down the green canals in their long black gondola ; in the afternoon they usually entertained visitors on the yacht ; and in the evening they dined at Florian 's , and smoked innumerable cigarettes on the Piazza .