about nine o'clock
The bright queen , paramount over all , engrossed the whole hemisphere , reducing the twinkling stars to the dimensions of small satraps of distant provinces , whose smallness increased the splendour of her august majesty . The stillness of nature suggested the idea of a general worship of the presiding genius of the night . Every wind was stilled , and even the Whitadder seemed to glide along with a greater smoothness than usual ; while its singing , mellow voice seemed as if it rejoiced in the bright reflection of the gay queen of the heavens it held in its bosom . It was now about nine o'clock . Matilda was sitting at the casement of her apartment , overlooking the stream -- her eyes were fixed on the beautiful scene ; the towers of Roseallan threw over a part of the river a shadow , at the farther extremity of which , and , as it were , at the point of the eastern turret , the round form of the moon , like a bright silver salver , lay still in the bosom of the water . A little beyond this striking object stood her bower in the wood ; and so bright was the flood of light that penetrated every part of the forest , that she saw the door and window of the romantic retreat so perfectly , that she could have detected the entrance of the august Oberon , or even Piggwiggan himself , if either of them could have left their revels on the greensward , in that auspicious night , to favour her bower with a visit . The scene was so inviting , that she would have been tempted to wander over the bridge into the wood , if the information of Bertha had not pointed out to her the danger .