midnight
At times she sank into forgetfulness , then started nervously , sometimes trembling in every limb . The thought of the blow of her daughter 's flight never left her for a moment . Natasha had just taken the place of the day nurse . It was her turn to wait on the patient until midnight . Silence always reigned in the house of the princess , and now that she was ill the silence was intensified tenfold . Everyone walked on tiptoe , and spoke in whispers , afraid even of coughing or of clinking a teaspoon on the sideboard . The doorbells were tied in towels , and the whole street in front of the house was thickly strewn with straw .