five o’clock
`` What do you want of me that brought you here ? '' `` A power of attorney to receive our Uncle Silas ' property . '' Dinah took a pen , wrote two lines to Monsieur de Clagny , and desired her husband to call again in the afternoon . At five o'clock , Monsieur de Clagny -- who had been promoted to the post of Attorney-General -- enlightened Madame de la Baudraye as to her position ; still , he undertook to arrange everything by a bargain with the old fellow , whose visit had been prompted by avarice alone . Monsieur de la Baudraye , to whom his wife 's power of attorney was indispensable to enable him to deal with the business as he wished , purchased it by certain concessions . In the first place , he undertook to allow her ten thousand francs a year so long as she found it convenient -- so the document was worded -- to reside in Paris ; the children , each on attaining the age of six , were to be placed in Monsieur de la Baudraye 's keeping . Finally , the lawyer extracted the payment of the allowance in advance .