about a quarter to eight
It was in consequence of this , indeed , that he came to be my guest . There were few questions in regard to motoring upon which Winter was not competent to give an opinion , and being myself a victim to the prevailing motor-mania , I was deeply indebted to him for many valuable tips . By this time I had passed my novitiate , and was still driving a neat little 9 1/2 - h.p. Clément in order to fit myself for a more powerful and speedy car . I arrived then at the restaurant about a quarter to eight , and having had a brief but satisfactory interview with the proprietor , I made my way to the table I had reserved in my favourite corner of the dining-room . Finding I had ten minutes to spare , to kill time I ordered a vermouth and the evening papers . The _ Globe _ was the first upon the pile the waiter brought to me , and following the example of most sane men , I skipped the parliamentary intelligence and turned to the `` By the Way '' column . I remember distinctly there was only one amusing paragraph therein , and I was about to throw the paper aside , with the customary lament as to the decadence of British humour , when my attention was arrested by a paragraph at the bottom of the next column .