noon
The need of lucre never looms so large As when 't is gotten in some devious way . Men can o'erlook the stain upon the targe , If from its boss the jewel shoots its ray ; Or blood upon the pirate 's sable barge Covered by silks ' and satins ' bright array -- The need of lucre never looms so large As when 't is gotten in some devious way . -- _ Rondels of the Curb _ . Morning passed to noon , and the day aged into afternoon , before Amidon rose from the deep sleep which -LRB- according to Le Claire 's prediction -RRB- followed his evening with her and the professor . With that odd sense of bewilderment which the early riser feels at this violation of habit , he went into the café for his belated breakfast . Impatient to finish the meal so that he might haste to the promised interview , he studied the menu , and with his eye scouted the room for a waiter -- failing to bestow even the slightest glance on a man seated opposite . This fact , however , did not prevent the stranger from scrutinizing Amidon 's face , his dress , and even his hands , as if each minutest detail were vitally important .