about
noon
He had few doubts concerning the financial soundness of old Paul 's proposition ; but he hesitated , for reasons unconnected with finance or with domesticity , about accepting it . And he conceived the idea -LRB- which none but a very peculiar man would have conceived -RRB- of discussing the matter with some enemy of old Paul 's . Now old Paul had few enemies . Mr. Prohack , however , could put his hand on one , -- Mr. Francis Fieldfare -- the editor of an old-established and lucrative financial weekly , and familiar to readers of that and other organs as `` F.F. '' Mr. Fieldfare 's offices were quite close to Mr. Prohack 's principal club , of which Mr. Fieldfare also was a member , and Mr. Fieldfare had the habit of passing into the club about noon and reading the papers for an hour , lunching early , and leaving the club again just as the majority of the members were ordering their after-lunch coffee . Mr. Fieldfare pursued this course because he had a deep instinct for being in the minority . Mr. Prohack looked at his watch . The resolution of every man is limited in quantity .