five o'clock
She knew that Hannaford had put in a caretaker when he bought the place -- a woman he had described as an interesting creature `` discovered '' in some odd way . What the way was , or precisely what Hannaford had said of the woman , Mary had forgotten ; for she had often listened absent-mindedly to Hannaford 's talk of his beloved villa and all concerning it ; but the great thing was the certainty that a woman lived in the house . Mary could go there alone without fear . She was glad that Rose had given her the key of the cabinet in which her jewel-case was kept , because she had very little money , and as it was already five o'clock the banks would be shut . It would not be an agreeable necessity , but she could go to the jeweller in the Galerie Charles Trois where she had bought many of her beautiful things and , explaining that she needed ready money , ask him to buy back a diamond pendant or brooch . When she had taken the jewel-case , which was in the shape of an inconspicuous hand bag , she gave Nathalie the key of the cabinet , and said nothing of the luggage waiting on the ground floor . She knew it would grieve George and Rose Winter to guess that she had come expecting to stay .