midnight
I made up my mind that I would -- that , if it existed , I would have absolute proof of it . The countess and her brother had scoffed so frequently , had promised the baron so often that they would set a servant on guard in the corridor to watch , and then had said so often to poor , foolish , easily persuaded Athalie that it was useless doing anything so silly , as it was absolutely certain that her father only imagined the thing , that I -- I determined to take the step myself , unknown to any of them . After everybody had gone to bed , I threw on a loose , dark gown , crept into the corridor , and hid in a niche from which I could see the door of the baron 's room . I waited until after midnight -- long after -- and then -- and then -- '' `` Calm yourself , Miss Lorne . Then the thing appeared , I suppose ? '' `` Yes ; but not before something equally terrible had happened . I saw the door of the countess 's room open ; I saw the countess herself come out , accompanied by the man who up till then I had believed , like everybody else , was her brother . ''