nearly twelve o'clock before
He regarded St. Cuthbert 's as the intellectual centre of Oxford , and Oxford as the intellectual centre of the world . No wonder the poor man looked serious and seldom smiled , for he must have had a lot to think about . He covered up his eyes with enormous spectacles , and the lower part of his face with a straggling moustache and beard , you got neither satisfaction nor information from looking at him . It was nearly twelve o'clock before I saw any of the men who had been at the wine , and then Ward and Collier came into my rooms . I was still sitting by the fire , and Ward , who would have gibed at my gloom under ordinary conditions , simply told me that I did n't look very cheerful , and sat down on the edge of the table , which tilted up and nearly placed him on the floor . Collier threw himself into the nearest chair , and pulling a pipe out of his pocket , carefully rubbed the bowl of it , but showed no anxiety to smoke , and considering that I felt as if I should never smoke again , I was not surprised . `` I should like to flay Lambert , Webb , and Dennison alive , '' Collier said quite solemnly .