eleven o'clock
He came on the ` Cours la Reine , ' where Irene 's hotel was situated , almost too suddenly , for he had not yet fixed on his procedure . Crossing over to the river side , he noted the building , white and cheerful-looking , with green sunblinds , seen through a screen of plane-tree leaves . And , conscious that it would be far better to meet her casually in some open place than to risk a call , he sat down on a bench whence he could watch the entrance . It was not quite eleven o'clock , and improbable that she had yet gone out . Some pigeons were strutting and preening their feathers in the pools of sunlight between the shadows of the plane-trees . A workman in a blue blouse passed , and threw them crumbs from the paper which contained his dinner . A ` bonne ' coiffed with ribbon shepherded two little girls with pig-tails and frilled drawers .