five in the afternoon
When we drove up in front of the Ardaraghs ' house the hall door stood open . There was not a soul in sight ; not even a friendly dog came down the steps to greet us , though usually there were half a dozen of them . I rang and knocked but no one came . It was five in the afternoon , and I guessed that Lady Ardaragh might be out and the servants at tea somewhere in the back premises . However , I was not to be put off by an unanswered bell since the door stood open . I knew my way about the house well , and was on terms of sufficient intimacy to announce myself . I guessed that the most likely place to find Lady Ardaragh would be the little inner drawing-room of which she had made a boudoir , to which were admitted only her favoured and intimate visitors .