eight o'clock
And all the while he kept his eye on the street door , in the irrepressible , unacknowledged hope that the gods would be kind enough to bring her there . But it was a mocking hope , he knew , and he did n't linger after he 'd finished . He walked down-town to his office . It was still pretty early -- not yet eight o'clock . Even his office boy would n't be down for three-quarters of an hour . He was safe , he found himself saying , for so long , anyway . He sat down at his desk and stared bewildered at the stack of letters that lay there awaiting his signature .