midday
He awoke from an unusually heavy sleep with a strange sense of astonishment , as though he had not expected to awake again in life . He felt weaker than he had felt for a long time , and even his accustomed beverage of chocolate mixed with coffee failed to give him the support he needed in the morning . He rose very late , and his servant found him more than usually petulant , nor did the message brought back from Giovanni seem to improve his temper . He met his wife at the midday breakfast , and was strangely silent , and in the afternoon he shut himself up in his own rooms and would see nobody . But at dinner he appeared again , seemingly revived , and declared his intention of accompanying his wife to a reception given at the Austrian embassy . He seemed so unlike his usual self , that Corona did not venture to speak of the duel which had taken place in the morning ; for she feared anything which might excite him , well knowing that excitement might prove fatal . She did what she could to dissuade him from going out ; but he grew petulant , and she unwillingly yielded .