midnight
And under that lay a substratum of anguish -- that it was _ her _ fault , _ her _ fault . The wheels repeated the words in their rhythmic rotation ; the horse 's hoofs hammered them out on the pavement . The night clerk at the Argonaut Hotel , drowsing behind his desk , sat up with a start when he saw her . Ladies in such gala array were rare at The Argonaut at any hour , much more so at long past midnight . That this one was agitated even the sleepy clerk could see . Her face was nearly as white as the dress showing between the loosened fronts of her cloak . The voice in which she asked if Mr. Mayer was there was a husky undertone .