There's a quote in the Count of Monte Cristo where Edmond explains punctuality something to the effect:

> Being early to an appointment is as rude as being late because you may be disturbing your host before they've taken all the efforts they require before your arrival

( VERY rough quote, the english translation is 100x more eloquent than my half-remembered version )

Edmond Dantès arrives exactly as the clock strikes the minute of his appointment no later and no earlier. I remember reading that when I was ~16 and it always seemed to make sense to me