noon
We exchanged greetings , and stepped out together across the open space of the Piazza della Citadella towards the fortress . We crossed the drawbridge , and entered unchallenged by the guard . People were wont to come and go , and to approach the Duke it was necessary to pass the guard in the ante-chamber above , whose business it was to question all comers . Moreover the only guard set consisted of a couple of Swiss who lounged in the gateway , the garrison being all at dinner , a circumstance upon which Galeotto had calculated in appointing noon as the hour for the striking of the blow . We crossed the quadrangle , and passing under a second archway came into the inner bailey as we had been bidden . Here we were met by Confalonieri , who also had half a dozen men with him . He greeted us , and issued his orders sharply .