five o'clock in the afternoon
About the club there is some attempt at ornamentation . A wide portico , raised on broad steps , runs along the entire front , supported by Corinthian columns . Under this portico there are orange-trees in green stands , rows of chairs , and tables laid with white table-cloths , plates , and napkins , ready for an _ al-fresco _ meal . It is five o'clock in the afternoon of a splendid day early in October -- the next day , in fact , after the contract was signed at Corellia . The hour for the drive upon the ramparts at Lucca is not till six . This , therefore , is the favorite moment for a lounge at the club . The portico is dotted with black coats and hats .