six in the morning
Giovanni , however , did not appear , and people told her he would not leave his room for several days , so that she returned to her home without having accomplished anything in the matter . Her husband was very silent , but looked at her with an expression of uncertainty , as though hesitating to speak to her upon some subject that absorbed his interest . Neither of them referred to the strange interview of the previous night . They went home early , as has been already recorded , seeing it was only a great and formal reception to which the world went that night ; and even the toughest old society jades were weary from the ball of the day before , which had not broken up until half-past six in the morning . On the next day , at about twelve o'clock , Corona was sitting in her boudoir writing a number of invitations which were to be distributed in the afternoon , when the door opened and her husband entered the room . `` My dear , '' he cried in great excitement , `` it is perfectly horrible ! Have you heard ? ''