midnight
Then before he could detain her she broke away from him and ran up the stairs . How dared he pretend that he had placed her under an obligation ! As if it made any difference to her whether her father were Governor or not ! As she fled upward she heard Gershom follow Vetch into the library , and she knew that they would sit talking there until long after midnight . These discussions had become frequent of late ; and she surmised vaguely , though Vetch never mentioned Gershom 's name to her , that the two men were no longer upon the friendly terms of the old days . Ever since Vetch 's election , it had seemed to her that the pack of hungry politicians had closed in about him ; and only the day before , when she had gone over to the Governor 's office in the Capitol building , she had run away from what she merrily described as `` the famished wolves '' waiting outside his door . It was clear even to her that the political leaders who had supported Vetch were beginning already to distrust him .