three o'clock
Within a few days George , who had need of every obtainable sovereign for family purposes , had disbursed some forty pounds out of his own pocket in order to exercise the privilege of defending , at the risk of ruin and death , the ideals of his country . At the end of the week what , as a civilian , he would have described as his first ` suit ' had not been delivered , and he spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday in most uncomfortable apprehension of the telegraph-boy and in studying an artillery manual now known to hundreds of thousands as ` F.A.T. ' On the Monday morning he collected such portions of his kit as had to be worn with the ` suit ' -LRB- leggings , boots , spurs , cap , shirt , collar , etc. -RRB- , and took them in a taxi to the tailor 's , intending to change there and emerge a soldier . The clothes were not ready , but the tailor , intimidated by real violence , promised them for three o'clock . At three o'clock they were still not ready , for buttons had to be altered on the breeches ; another hour was needed . George went to call at Lucas & Enwright 's . That office seemed to function as usual , for Everard Lucas alone had left it for the profession of arms . The factotum in the cubicle was a young man of the finest military age , and there were two other good ones in the clerks ' room , including a clerk just transferred from George 's own office .