noon
They had harkened to Rameses when he asked for her at their hands ; they had harkened to her father and yielded him power at her sacrifice ; they had even pitied Rachel ; they had returned her love from Amenti , and yet had not Rachel reviled them ? Nay , there was conspiracy laid against her by the Pantheon , and what had she done to deserve it ? In some one of the many windows that looked into the court another dragged at his chestnut locks and execrated gods and men because of their hardness of heart . So the night wore on to its noon . Masanath was becoming drowsy in spite of her determination to keep a sleepless vigil until dawn , when she was aroused by a commotion in the vicinity of the palace . There were indoor cries and shouts for help . `` A brawl , '' she thought .