six o'clock in the
evening
For whom was I to inquire ? Would he be known there as Pless ? The manager gave me a broad -LRB- I was about to say serviceable -RRB- smile and put my mind at rest by blandly inquiring if I was the gentleman who wished to see Mr. Pless . He directed me to the top floor of the hotel and I mounted two flights of stairs at the heels of a porter who exercised native thrift by carrying up a large trunk , thus saving time and steps after a fashion , although it may be hard to see wherein he really benefited when I say that after escorting me to a room on the third floor and knocking at the door while balancing the trunk on his back , he descended to the second and delivered his burden in triumph to the lady who had been calling for it since six o'clock in the evening . But even at that he displayed considerable cunning in not forgetting what room the luggage belonged in , thereby saving himself a trip all the way down to the office and back with the trunk . Mr. Pless welcomed me with a great deal of warmth . He called me `` dear old fellow '' and shook hands with me with more heartiness than I had thought him capable of expressing .