eleven at night
Such a flush of wealth , and he was rich already without it , exhilarated the bilious old gentleman so strangely , that positive peonies were blooming in his cheeks ; and , as if this was not miracle enough , he had brought his wife as a present Maurice 's ' _ Antiquities of India _ , ' gloriously bound , and had even been so superfluous as to purchase a new pair of double-barrelled pistols for Julian : the lad was a fine young fellow after all , and ought to be encouraged in snuffing out a candle ; as for Emily 's _ petit cadeau _ , it was a fifty guinea set of cameos , the choicest in their way that Howell and James 's had to show him . Moreover , he had sent a Bow-street officer to Oxford , to make inquiries after Charles : actually , good fortune had made him at once humanized and happy . So the chaise rattled up , and the general bounded out , and flew into the arms of his wondering wife , as Paris might have flown to Helen , or Leander to his heroine -- the only feminine Hero , whom grammar recognises . It was past eleven at night : therefore he did not think to ask for Julian ; no doubt the boy was gone to bed . Indeed , he had ; and was tossing his wealed body , full of pains , and aches , and bruises , as softly as he could upon the feather-bed : he had need of poultices all over , and a quart of Friar 's Balsam would have done him little good : after his well-merited thrashing , the flogged hound had slunk to his kennel , and locked himself sullenly in , without even speaking to his mother . Tobacco-fumes exuded from the key-hole , and I doubt not other creature-comforts lent the muddled man their aid . However , after the first rush of news to Mrs. Tracy , her lord , who had every moment been expecting the door to fly open , and Emily to fall into his arms -- for strangely did they love each other -- suddenly asked , `` But , where 's Emmy all this time !