nine until three
From odd moments in his own home , stolen when there was no one about to see , they advanced to clandestine meetings beyond the confines of the city . Cowperwood was not one who was temperamentally inclined to lose his head and neglect his business . As a matter of fact , the more he thought of this rather unexpected affectional development , the more certain he was that he must not let it interfere with his business time and judgment . His office required his full attention from nine until three , anyhow . He could give it until five-thirty with profit ; but he could take several afternoons off , from three-thirty until five-thirty or six , and no one would be the wiser . It was customary for Aileen to drive alone almost every afternoon a spirited pair of bays , or to ride a mount , bought by her father for her from a noted horse-dealer in Baltimore . Since Cowperwood also drove and rode , it was not difficult to arrange meeting-places far out on the Wissahickon or the Schuylkill road .