Eleven o'clock
He had just come back from a visit to Maria -- a very pleasing visit -- and his heart inclined , for the moment , more to the Siennese than to the other . His ear still retained the sound of her sweet and gentle words as they stood together at the window and watched the snow falling soft as peach or apple blossom on the trees of the Villa Aldobrandini , already touched with the presentiment of the coming Spring . However , before going out to dinner , he gave very particular orders to Stephen . Eleven o'clock found him in front of the palace , devoured by impatience and curiosity . The novelty of the situation , the spectacle of the snowy night , the mystery and uncertainty of it all , inflamed his imagination and transported him beyond the realities of life . Over Rome , on that memorable February night , there shone a full moon of fabulous size and unheard of splendour . In that immense radiance , the surrounding objects seemed to exist only as in a dream , impalpable , meteoric , and visible at a great distance by virtue of some fantastic irradiation of their own .