midnight
So that , you see , instead of having one poor soul a-frying , we may now look forward to a goodly harvest for our lord the Devil . '' The soul of the Baron began to think that his companion knew too much for one who would make fair bets ; but there was no help for it ; he would not , and he could not cry off : and he prayed inwardly that the brother might be found more pious than the sister . But there seemed little chance of this . As they crossed the court , lackeys , with smoking dishes and full jugs , passed and repassed continually , although it was long past midnight . On entering the hall , they found Sir Randal at the head of a vast table , surrounded by a fiercer and more motley collection of individuals than had congregated there even in the time of Sir Rollo . The lord of the castle had signified that `` it was his royal pleasure to be drunk , '' and the gentlemen of his train had obsequiously followed their master . Mercurius was delighted with the scene , and relaxed his usually rigid countenance into a bland and benevolent smile , which became him wonderfully .