One minute to six
The red-coated official posted her letter , and pointed out the proper place for the newspaper . At two minutes to six anxious people began to run while yet in the street . Cool personages , seeing the clock , and feeling safe , affected an easy nonchalance , but did not loiter . One minute to six -- eager looks were on the faces of those who , from all sides , converged towards the great receiving-box . The active sprang up the wide stairs at a bound , heaved in their bundles , or packets , or single missives , and heaved sighs of relief after them ; the timid stumbled on the stairs and blundered up to the mouth ; while the hasty almost plunged into it bodily . Even at this critical moment there were lulls in the rush . Once there was almost a dead pause , and at that moment an exquisite sauntered towards the mouth , dropped a solitary little letter down the slope where whole cataracts had been flowing , and turned away .