ten o’clock
The king did not ask his mother the meaning of this conference , but he returned to his seat and kept silence , darting terrible looks of anger and suspicion all about him . This little circumstance seemed of enormous consequence in the eyes of the courtiers ; and , in truth , so marked an exercise of power by the queen-mother , without reference to the king , was like a drop of water overflowing the cup . Queen Elizabeth and the Comtesse de Fiesque now retired , but the king paid no attention to their movements , though the queen-mother rose and attended her daughter-in-law to the door ; after which the courtiers , understanding that their presence was unwelcome , took their leave . By ten o'clock no one remained in the hall but a few intimates , -- the two Gondis , Tavannes , Solern , Birago , the king , and the queen-mother . The king sat plunged in the blackest melancholy . The silence was oppressive . Catherine seemed embarrassed .