midnight
` Listen ! ' von Elmur raised his hand . ` The happy moment arrives when the beautiful faces we long to see -- ' He gave the rest of the sentence to the ear of Mademoiselle Selpdorf , who stood silently looking on at the little scene . At this instant the music broke off with a sudden clang ; the dancers paused where they stood , as the great bell of the palace tower sent its strong , mellow boom of midnight out over the frost-bound city . Rallywood , on looking round an instant later , saw that masks and dominoes had disappeared . Opposite to him stood Valerie Selpdorf in a dress of some deep velvety shade , which bore , wrought upon its texture here and there , tiny horseshoes embossed in iridescent jewels . A diadem of the same shape crowned her dark hair .