ten o'clock
From under the cloth was audible the enthusiastic smacking sound inspired by this suggestion . When a butler had appeared with bottles , glasses , and siphon one of the bottles was handed back ; thereafter the silent partner could be heard imbibing long potations at frequent intervals . Thus passed a benign hour . At ten o'clock Mr. Tate decided that they 'd better be starting . He donned his clown 's costume ; Perry replaced the camel 's head , arid side by side they traversed on foot the single block between the Tate house and the Tallyho Club . The circus ball was in full swing . A great tent fly had been put up inside the ballroom and round the walls had been built rows of booths representing the various attractions of a circus side show , but these were now vacated and over the floor swarmed a shouting , laughing medley of youth and color -- downs , bearded ladies , acrobats , bareback riders , ringmasters , tattooed men , and charioteers .