midnight
A man accosted me with an eloquent appeal for help , ending with the assurance that he had not a penny in the world . I replied , with exact truth , `` Neither have I. '' He thanked me civilly , and went away , apparently not in the least surprised , leaving me to ask myself why I did not turn beggar too , since I felt sure that a man who did it as well as he , must be in comfortable circumstances . Another reminiscence . A little past midnight , in the same costume , I was turning from Piccadilly into Bond Street , when a lady of the pavement , out of luck that evening so far , confided to me that the last bus for Brompton had passed , and that she should be grateful to any gentleman who would give her a lift in a hansom . My old-fashioned Irish gallantry had not then been worn off by age and England : besides , as a novelist who could find no publisher , I was touched by the similarity of our trades and predicaments . I excused myself very politely on the ground that my wife -LRB- invented for the occasion -RRB- was waiting for me at home , and that I felt sure so attractive a lady would have no difficulty in finding another escort . Unfortunately this speech made so favorable an impression on her that she immediately took my arm and declared her willingness to go anywhere with me , on the flattering ground that I was a perfect gentleman .