about three o'clock
His young energy bred a desire for expression in those about him . And Charmian and Claude were now his most intimate friends . He identified himself with them in a charming way , was devoted to their fortunes , and assumed , without a trace of conceit , their devotion to his . When Claude , about three o'clock , got up and went away to his workroom Alston often went off for a stroll alone . Between tea and dinner time , if Charmian had no engagement , she and Alston walked together in the scented Bois de Boulogne , past `` Tananarivo , '' or drove down to the Jardin d'Essai , and spent an hour there near the shimmering sea . In these many intimate hours Charmian learnt to appreciate the chivalry and delicacy peculiar to well-bred American men in their relations with women . Although she and Alston were both young , and she was an attractive woman , she felt as safe with him as if he were her brother .