five o’clock
Directly after the doctor , who had taken up so much time , came the celebrated traveler , and Alexey Alexandrovitch , by means of the pamphlet he had only just finished reading and his previous acquaintance with the subject , impressed the traveler by the depth of his knowledge of the subject and the breadth and enlightenment of his view of it . At the same time as the traveler there was announced a provincial marshal of nobility on a visit to Petersburg , with whom Alexey Alexandrovitch had to have some conversation . After his departure , he had to finish the daily routine of business with his secretary , and then he still had to drive round to call on a certain great personage on a matter of grave and serious import . Alexey Alexandrovitch only just managed to be back by five o'clock , his dinner-hour , and after dining with his secretary , he invited him to drive with him to his country villa and to the races . Though he did not acknowledge it to himself , Alexey Alexandrovitch always tried nowadays to secure the presence of a third person in his interviews with his wife . Anna was upstairs , standing before the looking-glass , and , with Annushka 's assistance , pinning the last ribbon on her gown when she heard carriage wheels crunching the gravel at the entrance . `` It 's too early for Betsy , '' she thought , and glancing out of the window she caught sight of the carriage and the black hat of Alexey Alexandrovitch , and the ears that she knew so well sticking up each side of it .