eleven o'clock
The stonework of the tall church on the corner was all lace ; and the very saints in their niches , who had known martyrdom and poverty , seemed to have renounced these as foolish , and to look down complacently on the procession of wealth and power . . Across the street , behind a sheet of glass , was a carrosserie where were displayed the shining yellow and black panels of a closed automobile , the cost of which would have built a farm-house and stocked a barn . At eleven o'clock , the appointed hour , I was in Wall Street . Sending in my name , I was speedily ushered into a room containing a table , around which were several men ; but my eyes were drawn at once to the figure of the great banker who sat , massive and preponderant , at one end , smoking a cigar , and listening in silence to the conversation I had interrupted . He rose courteously and gave me his hand , and a glance that is unforgettable . `` It is good of you to come , Mr. Paret , '' he said simply , as though his summons had not been a command .