about three o’clock in the
afternoon
The first of these questions seemed , undoubtedly , to have the right of way , and yet , by some secret instinct , la Peyrade felt more keenly drawn toward the conclusion of the second problem . He decided , therefore , to take his first step in that direction , fully understanding that he could not too carefully arm himself for the interview to which the countess had invited him . The morning had been rainy , and this great calculator was , of course , not ignorant how much a spot of mud , tarnishing the brilliancy of varnished boots , could lower a man in the opinion of some . He therefore sent his porter for a cabriolet , and about three o'clock in the afternoon he drove from the rue Saint-Dominique d'Enfer toward the elegant latitudes of the Madeleine . It may well be believed that certain cares had been bestowed upon his toilet , which ought to present a happy medium between the negligent ease of a morning costume and the ceremonious character of an evening suit . Condemned by his profession to a white cravat , which he rarely laid aside , and not venturing to present himself in anything but a dress-coat , he felt himself being drawn , of necessity , to one of the extremes he desired to avoid . However by buttoning up his coat and wearing tan instead of straw-colored gloves , he managed to _ unsolemnize _ himself , and to avoid that provincial air which a man in full dress walking the streets of Paris while the sun is above the horizon never fails to convey .