midnight
He remembered the terrible hangman 's son . It was so ordained that the very next night was to explain this terrible mystery to him -- that which alone could be the key to the Countess 's strange condition . She herself used , every evening , to make the tea which the Count always took before going to bed . This evening he did not take a drop of it , and when he went to bed he had not the slightest symptom of the sleepiness which generally came upon him as it got towards midnight . However , he lay back on his pillows , and had all the appearance of being fast asleep as usual . And then the Countess rose up very quietly , with the utmost precautions , came up to his bedside , held a lamp to his eyes , and then , convinced that he was sound asleep , went softly out of the room . His heart throbbed fast .