midnight
The thought of Cesare Borgia rose to my mind . But never did drowning man clutch at a more illusory straw . Cold reason quenched my hope at once . If the greatest imaginable success attended Mariani 's journey , the Duke could not reach Cesena before midnight , and to that it wanted some ten hours at least . Moreover , the company that came was small to judge by the sound -- a half-dozen horses at the most . But Ramiro 's attention had been diverted from me by the noise . Half-turning in his chair , he called to one of the men-at-arms to ascertain who came .