midnight
In the commercial exploitation of her daughter Mrs. Knight developed something like genius . She arranged for paid interviews and special beauty articles in the Sunday supplements ; she saw to it that Lorelei 's features became identified with certain makes of biscuits , petticoats , chewing-gums , chocolates , cameras , short-vamp shoes , and bath-tubs . But of all the so-called `` grafts '' open to handsome girls in her business the quickest and best returns came from prodigal entertainers like Jarvis Hammon . As Lorelei and her companion left their taxi-cabs and entered Proctor 's Hotel , shortly before midnight , they were met by a head waiter and shown into an ornate ivory-and-gold elevator which lifted them noiselessly to an upper floor . They made their exit into a deep-carpeted hall , at the end of which two splendid creatures in the panoply of German field-marshals stood guard over one of the smaller banquet-rooms . Hammon himself greeted the girls when they had surrendered their wraps , and , after his introduction to Lorelei , engaged Lilas in earnest conversation . Lorelei watched him curiously .