one o’clock in the morning
He had at first fancied that a woman muffled in wraps who stood close beside the deputy was the little Princess de Harn , whom he had very likely brought to see the execution since he had taken her to see the trial . On closer inspection , however , he had found that this woman was Silviane , the perverse creature with the virginal face . Truth to tell , she made no concealment of her presence , but talked on in an extremely loud voice , as if intoxicated ; and the brothers soon learnt how it was that she happened to be there . Duvillard , Duthil , and other friends had been supping with her at one o'clock in the morning , when on learning that Salvat was about to be guillotined , the fancy of seeing the execution had suddenly come upon her . Duvillard , after vainly entreating her to do nothing of the kind , had gone off in a fury , for he felt that it would be most unseemly on his part to attend the execution of a man who had endeavoured to blow up his house . And thereupon Silviane had turned to Duthil , whom her caprice greatly worried , for he held all such loathsome spectacles in horror , and had already refused to act as escort to the Princess . However , he was so infatuated with Silviane 's beauty , and she made him so many promises , that he had at last consented to take her .