midnight
To which end thou wilt come to my room about midnight ; I will leave the door open ; thou knowest the side of the bed on which I sleep ; thou wilt come there ; should I be asleep , thou hast but to touch me , and I shall awake , and give thee solace of thy long-pent desire . In earnest whereof I will even give thee a kiss . '' So saying , she threw her arms about his neck , and lovingly kissed him , as Anichino her . Their colloquy thus ended , Anichino betook him elsewhere about some matters which he had to attend to , looking forward to midnight with boundless exultation . Egano came in from his hawking ; and after supper , being weary , went straight to bed , whither the lady soon followed him , leaving , as she had promised , the door of the chamber open . Thither accordingly , at the appointed hour , came Anichino , and having softly entered the chamber , and closed the door behind him , stole up to where the lady lay , and laying his hand upon her breast , found that she was awake . Now , as soon as she wist that Anichino was come , she took his hand in both her own ; and keeping fast hold of him , she turned about in the bed , until she awoke Egano ; whereupon : -- `` Husband , '' quoth she , `` I would not say aught of this to thee , yestereve , because I judged thou wast weary ; but tell me , upon thy hope of salvation , Egano , whom deemest thou thy best and most loyal retainer , and the most attached to thee , of all that thou hast in the house ? ''