four o’clock
said the Presidente . `` Adorable ! '' returned Gaudissart , kissing the lady 's shriveled fingers . At four o'clock that afternoon several people were gathered together at Berthier 's office ; Fraisier , arch-concocter of the whole scheme , Tabareau , appearing on behalf of Schmucke , and Schmucke himself . Gaudissart had come with him . Fraisier had been careful to spread out the money on Berthier 's desk , and so dazzled was Schmucke by the sight of the six thousand-franc bank-notes for which he had asked , and six hundred francs for the first quarter 's allowance , that he paid no heed whatsoever to the reading of the document . Poor man , he was scarcely in full possession of his faculties , shaken as they had already been by so many shocks .