half past three in the afternoon
Bobinette was a red-haired beauty . The thick braids of her abundant tresses , with their natural waves and curls , fell to where the lines of neck and shoulders meet , their tawny hues enhancing the milky whiteness of her plump flesh . This young creature was of the true Rubens type . It was half past three in the afternoon of a dull November day . A kind of twilight was darkening the ground floor flat in the quiet rue de Lille , where the two lovers were together . For some months now Captain Brocq had been on intimate terms with this intoxicating young person , who answered to the nickname `` Bobinette . '' Her features , though irregular , were pleasing .