midnight
But he reflected that such a man must have a good reason for wishing to see him . He remembered , too , that the Duca had spoken of him as Gianluca 's friend , and in the terrible position in which Bosio himself was placed , it seemed to him possible that one of Gianluca 's friends might help him , -- how , he had not the power of concentrating his mind enough to guess , -- and he ordered the servant to admit him . Bosio had not slept that night . He had spent the six hours between midnight and the December dawn in his easy-chair before the fireplace . Once or twice , towards morning , he had felt sleep creeping upon him through sheer physical exhaustion , but he had fought it off , afraid to lose one of the precious moments which he still had before him in which to think over what he should do . They were few enough , for a man of his nature . He knew the absolute truth of all that Matilde had told him , and he had even suspected much of it before she had first spoken .