midnight
In that squirrel-wheel of a world of his and Susy 's you had to keep going or drop out -- and Susy , it was evident , had chosen to keep going . Under the lamp-flare on the landing he had had a good look at her face , and had seen that the mask of paint and powder was carefully enough adjusted to hide any ravages the scene between them might have left . He even fancied that she had dropped a little atropine into her eyes ... . There was no time to spare if he meant to catch the midnight train , and no gondola in sight but that which his wife had just left . He sprang into it , and bade the gondolier carry him to the station . The cushions , as he leaned back , gave out a breath of her scent ; and in the glare of electric light at the station he saw at his feet a rose which had fallen from her dress . He ground his heel into it as he got out .