one before two o'clock
Bedient went directly to the house-number of David Cairns in West Sixty-seventh Street , without telephoning for an appointment . It happened that the time of his arrival was unfortunate . Something of this he caught , first from the look of the elevator attendant , who took him to the tenth floor of a modern studio-building ; and further from the man-servant who answered his ring at the Cairns apartment . `` Mr. Cairns sees no one before two o'clock , sir , '' said the latter , whose cool eye took in the caller . Bedient hesitated . It was now twelve-forty-five . He felt that Cairns would be hurt if he went away .