eleven
o'clock at night
It is true , he was on the whole rather an innocent monster ; and between bitting and bridling , coaxing and humouring , might have been made to pad on well enough . But an unhappy boggling which had taken place previous to the declaration of their private marriage , had so exasperated her spirits against her helpmate , that modes of conciliation were the last she was likely to adopt . Not only had the assistance of the Scottish Themis , so propitiously indulgent to the foibles of the fair , been resorted to on the occasion , but even Mars seemed ready to enter upon the tapis , if Hymen had not intervened . There was , _ de par le monde _ , a certain brother of the lady -- an officer -- and , as it happened , on leave of absence , -- who alighted from a hack-chaise at the Fox Hotel , at eleven o'clock at night , holding in his hand a slip of well-dried oak , accompanied by another gentleman , who , like himself , wore a military travelling-cap and a black stock ; out of the said chaise , as was reported by the trusty Toby , was handed a small reise-sac , an Andrew Ferrara , and a neat mahogany box , eighteen inches long , three deep , and some six broad . Next morning a solemn _ palaver _ -LRB- as the natives of Madagascar call their national convention -RRB- was held at an unusual hour , at which Captain MacTurk and Mr. Mowbray assisted ; and the upshot was , that at breakfast the company were made happy by the information , that Sir Bingo had been for some weeks the happy bridegroom of their general favourite ; which union , concealed for family reasons , he was now at liberty to acknowledge , and to fly with the wings of love to bring his sorrowing turtle from the shades to which she had retired , till the obstacles to their mutual happiness could be removed . Now , though all this sounded very smoothly , that gall-less turtle , Lady Binks , could never think of the tenor of the proceedings without the deepest feelings of resentment and contempt for the principal actor , Sir Bingo . Besides all these unpleasant circumstances , Sir Bingo 's family had refused to countenance her wish that he should bring her to his own seat ; and hence a new shock to her pride , and new matter of contempt against poor Sir Bingo , for being ashamed and afraid to face down the opposition of his kins-folk , for whose displeasure , though never attending to any good advice from them , he retained a childish awe .