one o'clock
Scarcely had he entered his apartments when the thought of Mme. de Marelle rendered him uneasy , and he wrote to her immediately , appointing a meeting for the following day . `` It will be hard , '' thought he . `` There will be a quarrel surely . '' The next morning he received a telegram from Madame , informing him that she would be with him at one o'clock . He awaited her impatiently , determined to confess at once and afterward to argue with her , to tell her that he could not remain a bachelor indefinitely , and that , as M. de Marelle persisted in living , he had been compelled to choose some one else as a legal companion . When the bell rang , his heart gave a bound . Mme. de Marelle entered and cast herself into his arms , saying : `` Good afternoon , Bel-Ami . ''