midnight
Rolfe also had visited the island , and remembered it much more agreeably , his impressions seeming to be chiefly gastronomic ; he recalled the exquisite flavour of Cyprian hares , the fat francolin , the delicious beccaficoes in commanderia wine ; with merry banter from Carnaby , professing to despise a man who knew nothing of game but its taste . The conversation reverted to technicalities of sport , full of terms and phrases unintelligible to Harvey ; recounting feats with 'Em press ' and ` Paradox ' , the deadly results of a ` treble A ' , or of ` treble-nesting slugs ' , and boasting of a ` right and left with No. 6 ' . Hugh appeared to forget all about his domestic calamity ; only when his guests rose did he recur to it , and with an air of contemptuous impatience . But he made a sign to Rolfe , requesting him to stay , and at midnight the two friends sat alone together . ` Sibyl has gone to her mother 's , ' began Hugh in a changed voice . ` The poor girl takes it pluckily . It 's a damnable thing , you know , for a woman to lose her rings and bracelets and so on -- even such a woman as Sibyl .