about nine
o'clock in the evening
He died lest he should do it , and desperately grasping at the universal strength of death , he cast himself and his weakness into the impregnable stronghold of the grave . It was still early in the morning , and all Naples knew that Count Bosio Macomer had committed suicide on the preceding evening . Every morning newspaper had a paragraph about the shocking tragedy , but few ventured to guess at any reason for the deed . It was merely stated that Count Bosio 's servant had been alarmed by the report of a pistol about nine o'clock in the evening , and on finding the door of his master 's room locked had broken in , suspecting some terrible accident . He had found the count stretched upon the floor , in evening dress , with his own revolver lying beside him . That was precisely what had happened , but the meagre account gave no idea of the confusion which had ensued upon the discovery . It contained no mention of Matilde nor of Veronica , and merely observed that the brother of the deceased was overcome with grief .