two o'clock
before
He took an early train to Centreport . It 's some quarry business that could not wait . I remembered it last night -- after -- after you had gone ; so I wrote . It was past two o'clock before I dared steal out to post the letter . '' Shelby shrugged into the collar of his ulster . `` I do n't deserve all this , '' he muttered . `` Do n't say that .