midnight
Sir Richard smiled to himself . ` I was very young -- very young ! ` When we came to his house here we had almost forgotten that we had been at blows . It was near midnight , and the Great Hall was full of men and women waiting news . There I first saw his sister , the Lady Ælueva , of whom he had spoken to us in France . She cried out fiercely at me , and would have had me hanged in that hour , but her brother said that I had spared his life -- he said not how he saved mine from his Saxons -- and that our Duke had won the day ; and even while they wrangled over my poor body , of a sudden he fell down in a swoon from his wounds . ``` This is _ thy fault _ , '' said the Lady Ælueva to me , and she kneeled above him and called for wine and cloths .