About midnight
Monsieur , '' she said , `` you are not going to leave our curiosity unsatisfied ... . A story about the Empress puts all our scandals on the beach , and all our questions of dress into the shade , and , I am sure , '' she added with a smile at the corners of her mouth , `` that even our friend , Madame d'Ormonde will leave off flirting with Monsieur Le Brassard to listen to you . '' Captain Oroshaz continued , with his large blue eyes full of recollections : `` It was in the middle of a grand ball that the Emperor was giving on the occasion of some family anniversary , though I forget exactly what , and where Maria-Gloriosa , who was in great grief , as she had heard that her lover was ill and his life almost despaired of , far from her , was going about with her face as pale as that of _ Our Lady of Sorrows _ , seemed to be a soul in affliction , appeared to be ashamed of her bare shoulders , as if she were being made a parade of in the light , while he , the adored of her heart , was lying on a bed of sickness , getting weaker every moment , longing for her and perhaps calling for her in his distress . About midnight , when the violins were striking up the quadrille , which the Emperor was to dance with the wife of the French Ambassador , one of the ladies of honor , Countess Szegedin , went up to the Empress , and whispered a few words to her , in a very low voice . Maria-Gloriosa grew still paler , but mastered her emotion and waited until the end of the last figure . Then , however , she could not restrain herself any longer , and even without giving any pretext for running away in such a manner , and leaning on the arm of her lady of honor , she made her way through the crowd as if she were in a dream and went to her own apartments . I told you that I was on duty that evening at the door of her rooms , and according to etiquette , I was going to salute her respectfully , but she did not give me time . ''