an hour after midnight
All agreed that the ladies and the older men must be sent home as soon as possible , and in complete ignorance of what had occurred . If Willits lived -- of which there was little hope -- his home would be at the colonel 's until he fully recovered , the colonel having declared that neither expense nor care would be spared to hasten his recovery . If he died , the body would be sent to his father 's house later on . With this object in view the dance was adroitly shortened , the supper hurried through , and within an hour after midnight the last carriage and carryall of those kept in ignorance of the duel had departed , the only change in the programme being the non-opening of the rare old bottle of Madeira and the announcement of Harry 's and Kate 's engagement -- an omission which provoked little comment , as it had been known to but few . Kate remained . She had tottered upstairs holding on to the hand-rail and had thrown herself on a bed in the room leading out of the dressing-room , where she lay in her mud-stained dress , the silken petticoat torn and bedraggled in her leap from the window . She was weeping bitterly , her old black mammy sitting beside her trying to comfort her as best she could .