nearly eleven
o'clock
He was a vain man , and possessed an overweening amount of self-confidence , especially where women were concerned . The two had other subjects to discuss . For a couple of hours -- long after Madge had forsaken the piano and gone to bed -- a whispered conversation was carried on that had no reference to the girl . It was nearly eleven o'clock when Nevill left the house , and bade Stephen Foster good-night on the step . He knew the way in spite of the darkness and the paucity of street lamps . Having lighted a cigar , he walked briskly toward Gunnersbury . `` It was a narrow squeak yesterday , '' he reflected .