the hour of eleven
No -- far from that ! She would save him if she could ; she would secure him to herself , if such were possible ; but she would not sacrifice to these objects the one grand scheme of her life , that scheme which had formed her character as we now find it , and which made her stand alone , as it were , among the millions of her own sex ! And it was to put into execution the plan which she had devised to effect Wagner 's freedom , that she was now arming herself with all the resolution , all the magnanimity , all the firmness with which her masculine soul was capable . The dial on the mantel in the chamber marked the hour of eleven ; and Nisida commenced her preparations . Having divested herself of her upper garment , she put on a thin , but strong , and admirably formed corselet , made so as to fit the precise contour of her ample bust , and completely to cover her bosom . Then she assumed a black velvet robe , which reached up to her throat , and entirely concealed the armor beneath . Her long flexible dagger was next thrust carefully into a sheath formed by the wide border of her stomacher ; and her preparations for defense in case of peril were completed .