five in the afternoon
`` I think the waiter is annoyed . '' Mr. William W. Blithers arrived in Edelweiss , the Capital of Graustark , on the same day that the Prince returned from his tour of the world . As a matter of fact , he travelled by special train and beat the Prince home by the matter of three hours . The procession of troops , headed by the Royal Castle Guard , it was announced would pass the historic Hotel Regengetz at five in the afternoon , so Mr. Blithers had front seats on the extension porch facing the Platz . He did not know it , but if he had waited for the regular train in Vienna , he would have had the honour of travelling in the same railway carriage with the royal young man . -LRB- `` Would '' is used advisedly in the place of `` might , '' for he _ would _ have travelled in it , you may be sure . -RRB- Moreover , he erred in another particular , for arriving at the same instant and virtually arm-in-arm with the country 's sovereign , he could hardly have been kept out of the procession itself .