midnight
Strange paralysis and constriction -- marvellous illumination . Serene over it all rides the great full brow , and sometimes asleep or in the quiet spaces of the night you might fancy that on a pillow of stone he lay triumphant . Sopwith , meanwhile , advancing with a curious trip from the fire-place , cut the chocolate cake into segments . Until midnight or later there would be undergraduates in his room , sometimes as many as twelve , sometimes three or four ; but nobody got up when they went or when they came ; Sopwith went on talking . Talking , talking , talking -- as if everything could be talked -- the soul itself slipped through the lips in thin silver disks which dissolve in young men 's minds like silver , like moonlight . Oh , far away they 'd remember it , and deep in dulness gaze back on it , and come to refresh themselves again . `` Well , I never .