about five
o'clock in the afternoon
The solicitor had a formidable rival in the person of Jimmie Drexell . The shrewd American , keeping eyes and ears open , had formed suspicions in regard to the principal witness for the Crown . And he lost no time in making the most of his clew , wild and improbable as it seemed . On the day of the inquiry at Great Marlborough street , about five o'clock in the afternoon , Jimmie Drexell walked slowly and thoughtfully up the Quadrant . The weather had turned cold , and his top hat and fur-lined coat gave him the appearance of an actor in luck . He was bound on a peculiar errand , and though he hoped to succeed , he was not blind to the fact that the odds were very much against him . `` I shall probably put my foot in it somehow , '' he reflected dolefully , `` and make a mess of the thing .