Noon
was the thought that came to Montague . They were all right until they opened their mouths . When they spoke , you discovered that Evans was a miner , and that his wife had been cook on a ranch ; also that Anne and Mary had harsh voices , and that they never by any chance said or did anything natural . They were escorted into the stately dining-room -- Henri II. , with a historic mantel taken from the palace of Fontainebleau , and four great allegorical paintings of Morning , Evening , Noon , and Midnight upon the walls . There were no other guests -- the table , set for six , seemed like a toy in the vast apartment . And in a sudden flash -- with a start of almost terror -- Montague realized what it must mean not to be in Society . To have all this splendour , and nobody to share it !