midnight
The Cardinal was impatient to attain the summit of his wishes ; but his road lay straight over Conari 's grave ! Abellino received the sum demanded ; the next day the venerable Conari , the Doge 's best and dearest friend , the pride and safeguard of the Republic , was no longer numbered among the living . ``' Tis a terrible fellow , this Abellino ! '' cried the conspirators , when the news reached them , and celebrated the Procurator 's death in triumph at the Cardinal 's midnight feast . The Doge was almost distracted with terror and astonishment . He engaged to give ten thousand sequins to any one who should discover by whom Conari had been removed from the world . A proclamation to this effect was published at the corner of every street in Venice , and made known throughout the territories of the Republic .