ten
o'clock
There must have been a slight roughness in the carpet which slid upon the slippery floor , for the Dame d'Héronac stumbled a little and then gasped : `` He -- knows that -- ! '' And by the time they all reached the salon , her rosy cheeks were pale , while the pupils of her violet eyes were so large as to make them appear to be black as night . The gay sprite of the dinner-table seemed to have taken her departure and a dignified and serious hostess filled her place . A hostess who discoursed of gardens , and architecture , and such subjects -- and at ten o'clock when the Père Anselme gave his blessing and wished the company good-night , also gave a white hand to her guests , saying that Madame Imogen would show them the small salon where they could smoke and have their drinks before retiring to their rooms , then she bowed to them and walked off slowly to her part of the house . When she had gone , Michael said a little hoarsely to Henry : `` I have got the fiend of a headache , old man . I think I wo n't smoke , but turn in at once . '' An hour or two later , when the whole château was wrapped in darkness -- the mistress of it crept from her bed-room to the great sitting-room , and turning on the light , she unlocked a blue despatch-box which stood beside her writing-table .