eleven
o'clock at night
In accordance with my promise I had seen the chief officer of the Patna ; and from the start of surprise which he gave on opening `` Captain Dan 's '' letter , I judged that Mr. Marryat and the man who for so long had sunk to the lowest rung of the ladder had been close friends in those `` old days . '' At any rate , he had proceeded to make the necessary arrangements without a moment 's delay , and the couple were to go on board the Patna at nine o'clock . It was with a sense of having done at least one good deed that I finally quitted our Limehouse base and returned to my rooms . Now , at eleven o'clock at night : `` Can you come round to Chancery Lane at once ? '' said Harley . `` I want you to run down to Pennyfields with me . '' `` Some development in the Kwen Lung business ? ''