a quarter past one
`` Allow me to compliment you on that . '' `` Well , just fancy that the most ridiculous and most annoying thing in the world happened to me . For four months everything had been going on perfectly ; I felt perfectly safe , and I was really very happy , when suddenly , last Monday , the crash came . `` I was expecting my regular one at the usual time , a quarter past one , and was smoking a good cigar , and dreaming , very well satisfied with myself , when I suddenly saw that it was past the time , at which I was much surprised , for she is very punctual , but I thought that something might have accidentally delayed her . However , half-an-hour passed , then an hour , an hour and a half , and then I knew that something must have detained her ; a sick headache , perhaps , or some annoying visitor . That sort of waiting is very vexatious , that ... useless waiting ... very annoying and enervating . At last , I made up my mind to go out , and not knowing what to do , I went to her and found her reading a novel . ''