the hour of six
A member of the English bar , and the last court of appeal to which Home Office and Foreign Office alike came in troubled times , the brass plate upon the door of his unassuming premises in Chancery Lane conveyed little or nothing to the uninitiated . The man himself , with his tropical bronze and air of eager vitality , must have told the most careless observer that he stood in the presence of an extraordinary personality . He was slightly gray at the temples in these days , but young in mind and body , physically fit , and possessed of an intellectual keenness which had forced recognition from two hemispheres . His office was part of an old city residence , and his chambers adjoined his workroom , so that now , noting that his table clock registered the hour of six , he pressed a bell which summoned Innes , his confidential secretary . `` Well , Innes , '' said Harley , looking around , `` another uneventful day . '' `` Very uneventful , Mr. Harley . About a month of this and you will have to resume practice at the bar . ''