midnight
Men told anecdotes that were terrific to hear , but nobody blushed ; and when the nub was sprung , the assemblage let go with a horse-laugh that shook the fortress . Ladies answered back with historiettes that would almost have made Queen Margaret of Navarre or even the great Elizabeth of England hide behind a handkerchief , but nobody hid here , but only laughed -- howled , you may say . In pretty much all of these dreadful stories , ecclesiastics were the hardy heroes , but that did n't worry the chaplain any , he had his laugh with the rest ; more than that , upon invitation he roared out a song which was of as daring a sort as any that was sung that night . By midnight everybody was fagged out , and sore with laughing ; and , as a rule , drunk : some weepingly , some affectionately , some hilariously , some quarrelsomely , some dead and under the table . Of the ladies , the worst spectacle was a lovely young duchess , whose wedding-eve this was ; and indeed she was a spectacle , sure enough . Just as she was she could have sat in advance for the portrait of the young daughter of the Regent d'Orleans , at the famous dinner whence she was carried , foul-mouthed , intoxicated , and helpless , to her bed , in the lost and lamented days of the Ancient Regime . Suddenly , even while the priest was lifting his hands , and all conscious heads were bowed in reverent expectation of the coming blessing , there appeared under the arch of the far-off door at the bottom of the hall an old and bent and white-haired lady , leaning upon a crutch-stick ; and she lifted the stick and pointed it toward the queen and cried out : `` The wrath and curse of God fall upon you , woman without pity , who have slain mine innocent grandchild and made desolate this old heart that had nor chick , nor friend nor stay nor comfort in all this world but him ! ''