about eleven at night
The composure of the people on the pavements was provoking to a degree , and as to the people in shops , they were benumbed , more than half frozen -- imbecile . Funny how it affects you to be in a peculiar state of mind : everybody that does not act up to your excitement seems so confoundedly unfriendly . And my state of mind what with the hurry , the worry and a growing exultation was peculiar enough . That engine in my head went round at its top speed hour after hour till at about eleven at night it let up on me suddenly at the entrance to the Dock before large iron gates in a dead wall . '' These gates were closed and locked . The cabby , after shooting his things off the roof of his machine into young Powell 's arms , drove away leaving him alone with his sea-chest , a sail cloth bag and a few parcels on the pavement about his feet . It was a dark , narrow thoroughfare he told us .