midnight
I must confess I had by no means a poor opinion of his intelligence . I believe if he had had to deceive his minister or any other influential person he would have put a great deal of skill and energy into doing so ; but to deceive a woman , the first idea that occurred to him was evidently good enough . If it succeeded -- well and good ; if it did not , there would be no harm done -- he could tell some other lie just as quickly and simply , with no mental effort . At midnight when the people on the floor overhead were moving their chairs and shouting hurrah to welcome the New Year , Zinaida Fyodorovna rang for me from the room next to the study . Languid from lying down so long , she was sitting at the table , writing something on a scrap of paper . `` I must send a telegram , '' she said , with a smile . `` Go to the station as quick as you can and ask them to send it after him . ''