nearly midnight
Never had he seen fewer men there in his life , and there were none of his set . The only young-looking man was old Colonel Carlisle , who , with his skilfully enamelled cheek , flowing auburn locks , shining teeth , and tinted whiskers , might have been mistaken for gay twenty-seven , instead of grey seventy-two ; but the Colonel had the gout , to say nothing of any other objections . The Duke took up the ` Courier ' and read three or four advertisements of quack medicines , but nobody entered . It was nearly midnight : he got nervous . Somebody came in ; Lord Hounslow for his rubber . Even his favoured child , Bagshot , would be better than nobody . The Duke protested that the next acquaintance who entered should be his second , old or young .