four o'clock
It was cold there , but she had not quite dared to order a fire to be made , because the Prince had never allowed fires except in the inner rooms , which were still closed under the notarial seals . The place had a certain grandeur of its own , for the massive decorations , the heavy furniture , and the rich brocade curtains all dated from the best period of Louis the Fourteenth 's reign . On the walls there were four or five first-rate pictures , the largest of which was a magnificent portrait of a former Chiaromonte by Vandyke ; there was a Holy Family by Guercino , another by Bonifacio , a Magdalen with the box of ointment , by Andrea del Sarto , and one or two smaller paintings of no inconsiderable value . But at that hour the light was bad , for the afternoon had turned cold and rainy after a beautiful morning , and at four o'clock it was still too early to have lamps . A few moments after the hour , a servant opened the door , held the curtains aside , and announced the visitor . ` Her Excellency , the Princess Chiaromonte ! ' Angela started slightly at the name .