three in the afternoon
A woman may love flattery ever so much and have ever so strong a moral absorbent system with which to digest it ; she does not hate banality the less . There is no such word as banality in the English tongue , but there might be , and if there were , it would mean that peculiarly tasteless and saltless nature of actions and speeches done and delivered by persons who are born dull , or who are mentally exhausted , or are absent-minded , or very shy , but who , in spite of natural or accidental disadvantages are determined to make themselves agreeable . The standard of banality differs indeed for every woman , and with every woman for almost every hour of the day , and men of the world who husband their worldly resources are aware of the fact . Angelina at three in the afternoon , fresh from rest and luncheon -- if both agree with her -- is wreathed in smiles at a little speech of Edwin 's which would taste like sweet camomile tea after dry champagne , at three in the morning , when the Hungarian music is ringing madly in her ears and there are only two more waltzes on the programme . Music , dancing , lights and heat are to a woman of the world what strong drinks are to a normal man ; they may not intoxicate , but they change the humour . Fortunately for San Miniato the young lady whom he wished to marry was not just at present exposed to the action of those stimulants , and her moods were tolerably even . If he had been at all eloquent , the same style of eloquence would have done almost as well after dinner as after breakfast .