three o'clock
It seemed to him , too , that this man , without his being able to guess why , had been displeased at finding him there . He had nothing more to do till three o'clock , and it was not yet noon . He had still six francs fifty centimes in his pocket , and he went and lunched at a Bouillon Duval . Then he prowled about the boulevard , and as three o'clock struck , ascended the staircase , in itself an advertisement , of the _ Vie Francaise _ . The messengers-in-waiting were seated with folded arms on a bench , while at a kind of desk a doorkeeper was sorting the correspondence that had just arrived . The entire get-up of the place , intended to impress visitors , was perfect . Everyone had the appearance , bearing , dignity , and smartness suitable to the ante-room of a large newspaper .