three o'clock
My costume pressed as weightily on her ladyship 's mind , as if I had been a favourite poodle about to be sent , all ribboned and clipped , to a dog show . She did not forget the slippers and stockings , and the chauffeur was ordered to take me into Clermont-Ferrand to buy them . Fortunately she did n't know how much I looked forward to the excursion ! At precisely three o'clock I walked out to the castle garage , near the stables , and found Jack getting the car ready ; but I did not find him alone . The garage is a big and splendid one , and not only were the three household dragons in their stalls , but four or five strange beasts , pets of visitors ; and the finest of these -LRB- after our blue Aigle -RRB- was the white Majestic of the Duc de Divonne . That gentleman , whom I recognized easily from a description breathed into my ear by a countess 's countess , at luncheon , was in the garage when I arrived , showing off his automobile to Miss Nelson . The ducal chauffeur lurked in the background , duster in hand , and Mr. Herbert Stokes occupied as large a space as possible in the foreground .