a quarter to eleven
Furthermore , sleuth , you say that you followed me around town from seven o'clock until -- when ? '' `` I said -- '' stammered the plain-clothes man , purple with confusion . `` No matter . I did n't leave the Primordial until a quarter to eleven . But all this aside , as I understand it , you are asserting that , having given you all this trouble to-day , and knowing that you were after me , I deliberately hopped into a cab fifteen minutes ago , came up Fifth Avenue at such breakneck speed that this officer thought it was a runaway , and finally jumped out and ran up-stairs here to fire a revolver three times , for no purpose whatsoever beyond bringing you gentlemen about my ears ? '' Hickey 's jaw sagged . The cabby ostentatiously covered his mouth with a huge red paw and made choking noises .