midnight
In the happy consciousness of having done all that lay in his power and of deserving no blame , he went through the ante-chambers and chief entrance of the palace into the fore-court , where a crowd of slaves were busied by torch-light in laying new marble slabs . Neither these workmen nor their overseers had paid any heed to the barking of the dogs and the loud talking which had for some little time been audible in the vicinity of the gate-keeper 's lodge ; for a special rate of payment had been promised to the laborers and their foremen if they should have finished a set piece of the new pavement by a certain hour , to the satisfaction of the architect . No one who heard the deep man 's - voice ring through the court from the doorway guessed to whom it belonged . The Emperor had been delayed by adverse winds and had not run into the harbor till a little before midnight . Titianus , who was watching for him , he greeted as an old friend with heartfelt warmth , and with him and Antinous he stepped into the prefect 's chariot , while Phlegon the secretary , Hermogenes his physician , and Mastor with the luggage , among which were their campbeds , were to follow in another vehicle . The harbor watchmen hastened to array themselves indignantly to oppose the chariot , as it rolled noisily along the street , and the huge dog that destroyed the peace of the night with its baying ; but as soon as they recognized Titianus they respectfully made way . The gate-keeper and his wife , obedient to the prefect 's warning , had remained up , and as soon as the singer heard the chariot approaching which bore the Emperor , he hastened to open the palace-gates .