noon
He takes that proposition up with himself , fin ` lly passin ' on it favorable ; and from then on he sits there , with never a move or a blink , watchin ' solemn all the maneuvers that a battery of lady typists has to go through before settlin ' down for a forenoon 's work . I 'll bet he could tell you too , a month from now , just how many started with gum , and which ones renewed their facial scenery with dabs from the chamois . So you can see why I was some relieved when Mr. Robert arrives and takes him off my hands . I knew from what he 'd said the day before that he 'd planned to have about a half-hour interview with Mr. Higgins ; but when the noon hour struck : Ira was still there . At one-fifteen they goes out to lunch together , and at two-thirty they comes back . It 's after four when Mr. Robert fin ` lly comes out to the gate with his brow wrinkled up . `` Torchy , '' says he , `` how is your bump of diplomacy today ? ''