ten
o'clock at night
Upon his own shoulders he took the charge of seeing the Admiral done to death . The remainder of the day and a portion of the evening were spent in concerting ways and means . They assured themselves of the Provost of the merchants of Paris , of the officers of the Gardes Francaises and the three thousand Swiss , of the Captains of the quarters and other notoriously factious persons who could be trusted as leaders . By ten o'clock at night all preparations were made and it was agreed that the ringing of the bell of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois for matins was to be the signal for the massacre . A gentleman of the Admiral 's household taking his way homeward that night passed several men bearing sheaves of pikes upon their shoulders , and never suspected whom these weapons were to arm . He met several small companies of soldiers marching quietly , their weapons shouldered , their matches glowing , and still he suspected nothing , whilst in one quarter he stopped to watch a man whose behaviour seemed curious , and discovered that he was chalking a white cross upon the doors of certain houses . Meeting soon afterwards another man with a bundle of weapons on his shoulder , the intrigued Huguenot gentleman asked him bluntly what he carried and whither he went .