five minutes before eight
`` Promise ? '' `` Yes . '' `` G ' - by , Sairy . '' At five minutes before eight Scattergood Baines rapped at Grandmother Penny 's door and asked to speak to Farley Curtis , `` Tell him it 's somethin' p ` tic ` lar reegardin ' the Beatty estate , '' he said , and stepped into the parlor . Farley appeared almost instantly ; dapper , his usual courteous , self-possessed self . Scattergood began a peculiar and roundabout conversation after the manner of a man who fears to broach a subject plainly . Farley showed his irritation .