twenty minutes past two
Bill walked up the Strand , glowing with energy . He made his way to Cockspur Street to buy his ticket for New York . This done , he set out to Brown 's to arrange with the committee the details of his departure . He reached Brown 's at twenty minutes past two and left it again at twenty-three minutes past ; for , directly he entered , the hall porter had handed him a telephone message . The telephone attendants at London clubs are masters of suggestive brevity . The one in the basement of Brown 's had written on Bill 's slip of paper the words : ' 1 p.m. Will Lord Dawlish as soon as possible call upon Mr Gerald Nichols at his office ? ' To this was appended a message consisting of two words : ` Good news . '