about three o’clock
And yet I felt her looking fixedly at me , with a sort of stupefaction on her features -- in her whole attitude -- as though she had never even heard of such a thing as a kiss in her life . A dim lamp -LRB- of Pompeiian form -RRB- hanging on a long chain left the hall practically dark . Dominic , advancing towards me from a distant corner , was but a little more opaque shadow than the others . He had expected me on board every moment till about three o'clock , but as I did n't turn up and gave no sign of life in any other way he started on his hunt . He sought news of me from the _ garçons _ at the various cafés , from the _ cochers de fiacre _ in front of the Exchange , from the tobacconist lady at the counter of the fashionable _ Débit de Tabac _ , from the old man who sold papers outside the _ cercle _ , and from the flower-girl at the door of the fashionable restaurant where I had my table . That young woman , whose business name was Irma , had come on duty about mid-day . She said to Dominic : `` I think I 've seen all his friends this morning but I have n't seen him for a week .