midnight
Once more she prayed God to forgive her for her poor sinful life . So they whirled through the night behind the clattering horses , the husband and the wife , saying nothing , but with hatred and fear raging in their hearts , until a brazier fire shone down upon them from the angle of a keep , and the shadow of the huge pile loomed vaguely up in front of them in the darkness . It was the Castle of Portillac . And thus it was that Amory de Catinat and Amos Green saw from their dungeon window the midnight carriage which discharged its prisoner before their eyes . Hence , too , came that ominous planking and that strange procession in the early morning . And thus it also happened that they found themselves looking down upon Francoise de Montespan as she was led to her death , and that they heard that last piteous cry for aid at the instant when the heavy hand of the ruffian with the axe fell upon her shoulder , and she was forced down upon her knees beside the block . She shrank screaming from the dreadful , red-stained , greasy billet of wood , but the butcher heaved up his weapon , and the seigneur had taken a step forward with hand outstretched to seize the long auburn hair and to drag the dainty head down with it when suddenly he was struck motionless with astonishment , and stood with his foot advanced and his hand still out , his mouth half open , and his eyes fixed in front of him .