Eight o'clock
Despotic , passionate , ready for any violence as he was , what was he meditating , what had he made up his mind to do ? There was no sound in the house , and every moment she looked at the clock . Her lady 's maid had come and dressed her for the evening , and had then left the room again . Eight o'clock struck and almost at the same moment there were two knocks at the door , and the butler came in and told her that dinner was ready . `` Has the Count come in ? '' `` Yes , Madame la Comtesse ; he is in the dining-room . '' For a little moment she felt inclined to arm herself with a small revolver which she had bought some time previously , foreseeing the tragedy which was being rehearsed in her heart .