six o'clock in the afternoon
That she should have felt his burning kisses on her hand was heavenly compensation for all she would have to suffer . And so she allowed them to drag her through the sansculotte mob of Paris , who would have torn her to pieces then and there , so as not to delay the pleasure of seeing her die . They took her to the Luxembourg , once the palace of the Medici , the home of proud `` Monsieur '' in the days of the Great Monarch , now a loathsome , overfilled prison . It was then six o'clock in the afternoon , drawing towards the close of this memorable day . She was handed over to the governor of the prison , a short , thick-set man in black trousers and black-shag woollen shirt , and wearing a dirty red cap , with tricolour rosette on the side of his unkempt head . He eyed her up and down as she passed under the narrow doorway , then murmured one swift query to Merlin : `` Dangerous ? '' `` Yes , '' replied Merlin laconically .