four o’clock
To-morrow , he reflected , Elaine would read his speech in her morning paper , and he knew in advance that it was not going to be one of his worst efforts . He knew almost exactly where the punctuations of laughter and applause would burst in , he knew that nimble fingers in the Press Gallery would be taking down each gibe and argument as he flung it at the impassive Minister confronting him , and that the fair lady of his desire would be able to judge what manner of young man this was who spent his afternoon in her garden , lazily chaffing himself and his world . And he further reflected , with an amused chuckle , that she would be vividly reminded of Comus for days to come , when she took her afternoon tea , and saw the bread-and-butter reposing in an unaccustomed dish . TOWARDS four o'clock on a hot afternoon Francesca stepped out from a shop entrance near the Piccadilly end of Bond Street and ran almost into the arms of Merla Blathlington . The afternoon seemed to get instantly hotter . Merla was one of those human flies that buzz ; in crowded streets , at bazaars and in warm weather , she attained to the proportions of a human bluebottle . Lady Caroline Benaresq had openly predicted that a special fly-paper was being reserved for her accommodation in another world ; others , however , held the opinion that she would be miraculously multiplied in a future state , and that four or more Merla Blathlingtons , according to deserts , would be in perpetual and unremitting attendance on each lost soul .