eleven o'clock
Then came the march to the settlements , and sudden , unaccountable change . Twice or thrice within the past ten days he had shown singular coldness and disfavor ; to-night strong and sudden dislike , and Lanier , amazed and stung , could only salute and turn away . Everybody by half past ten had heard of it , and most men marvelled . Nobody at eleven o'clock was very much surprised when , in the midst of the lovely Lorelei waltz of Keler Bela , a group of young maids , matrons , and officers near the doorway opened out , as it were , and Bob Lanier , officer-of-the-guard , came gracefully gliding and circling down the room , Miriam Arnold 's radiant , happy face looking up into his . It was a joy to watch them dance together , but not to watch the colonel 's face when he caught sight of them . Except Lanier , every officer present was in full uniform , without his sabre . Lanier was in the undress uniform of the guard , but with the sabre -- not the long , curved , clumsy , steel-scabbarded weapon then used by the cavalry , but a light , Prussian hussar sword that he had evidently borrowed for the occasion , for it belonged to Barker , the adjutant , as everybody knew -- as Barker realized to his cost when in less than ten seconds the commander summoned him .