seven o’clock
Selecting a pile of newspapers , he drew up an easy chair to the fire and made himself comfortable . `` Seems to me I may have a longish wait , '' he said to himself . As a matter of fact , he was disappointed . At precisely seven o'clock , Mr. Richard Vanderpole strolled into the room and , after a casual glance around , approached his chair and touched him on the shoulder . In his evening clothes the newcomer was no longer obtrusively American . He was dressed in severely English fashion , from the cut of his white waistcoat to the admirable poise of his white tie . He smiled as he patted Coulson upon the shoulder .