midnight
As my first actual acquaintance with Anarchists was effected in Nekrovitch 's house , it will not be out of place for me to give a slight sketch of the gatherings held there and of my host himself . An interminably dreary journey by tram and rail , omnibus and foot , the latter end of which lay along a monotonous suburban road , brought you to the humble dwelling of the famous Nihilist . Here from time to time on Sunday evenings it was my wont to put in an appearance towards ten or eleven , for the journey was deceptively long from Fitzroy Square , and Nekrovitch , like most Russians , was himself of so unpunctual and irregular a nature , that he seemed to foster the like habits in all his friends . The nominal hour for these social gatherings to commence was eight , but not till past nine did the guests begin to assemble , and till midnight and later they would come dribbling in . Only one conscientiously punctual German was ever known to arrive at the appointed hour , but the only reward of the Teuton 's mistaken zeal was to wait for hours in solitary state in an unwarmed , unlighted room till his host and fellow-guests saw fit to assemble . The meeting-room , or parlour , or drawing-room in Nekrovitch 's house was by no means a palatial apartment . Small and even stuffy to the notions of a hygienic Englishman , and very bare , scanty in furniture , and yet poorer in decoration , this room bore evidence to its owners ' contempt for such impedimenta , and their entire freedom from slavery to household gods .