twenty minutes to ten
`` Drive like the very devil , '' he said to the cabman , explaining to him something of the circumstances . The cabman did do his best , but a cab can not be made to travel from the Beargarden , which as all the world knows is close to St. James 's Street , to Liverpool Street in the City in ten minutes . When Lord Gerald reached the station the train had started . At twenty minutes to ten the young man reappeared at the club . `` Why on earth did n't you take a special for yourself ? '' exclaimed Silverbridge . `` They would n't give me one . ''