three o'clock
The sight of the place with its placid , enervating beauty , its constant appeal to the senses , was beginning to have a curious effect upon his nerves . He turned back upon the Terrace , and by means of the least frequented streets he passed through the town and up towards the hills . He walked steadily , reckless of time or direction . He had lunch at a small inn high above the road from Cannes , and it was past three o'clock when he turned homewards . He had found his way into the main road now and he trudged along heedless of the dust with which the constant procession of automobiles covered him all the while . The exercise had done him good . He was able to keep his thoughts focussed upon his mission .