midnight
Under cover of the darkness the old gentleman leaned on his servant 's arm with frank dependence , and Sandy lifted him into the carriage with every mark of devotion . Ellis had already excused himself to go to the office and look over the late proofs for the morning paper . Tom remained a few minutes longer than his grandfather , and upon taking his leave went round to the Clarendon Club , where he spent an hour or two in the card-room with a couple of congenial friends . Luck seemed to favor him , and he went home at midnight with a comfortable balance of winnings . He was fond of excitement , and found a great deal of it in cards . To lose was only less exciting than to win . Of late he had developed into a very successful player , -- so successful , indeed , that several members of the club generally found excuses to avoid participating in a game where he made one .