three o'clock in the afternoon
To have demurred , or uttered more than a casual word of objection , would in the case of M. le Marquis have been highly impolitic . He felt that at once , the moment he raised his voice in protest : and when Madame declared herself determined he immediately gave up arguing the point . The trouble was that we had so very little time wherein to formulate new plans . Monsieur was to go the very next morning to the Mont de Piété to negotiate the emeralds , and the interview with the fabulous M. de Naquet was to take place a couple of hours later ; and it was now three o'clock in the afternoon . As soon as M. de Firmin-Latour was able to leave his wife , he came round to my office . He appeared completely at his wits ' end , not knowing what to do . `` If my wife , '' he said , `` insists on a personal interview with de Naquet , who does not exist , our entire scheme falls to the ground .