ten in the morning
He summoned his valet , repaired the disorder of his appearance with elaborate care ; and then , curled and scented and adorned , Prince Charming in every line , but with a twitching nostril , he set forth unattended for the council . It was as Gotthold wrote . The liberation of Sir John , Greisengesang 's uneasy narrative , last of all , the scene between Seraphina and the Prince , had decided the conspirators to take a step of bold timidity . There had been a period of bustle , liveried messengers speeding here and there with notes ; and at half-past ten in the morning , about an hour before its usual hour , the council of Grünewald sat around the board . It was not a large body . At the instance of Gondremark , it had undergone a strict purgation , and was now composed exclusively of tools . Three secretaries sat at a side-table .