ten o’clock
When Knight was gone , Stephen felt yet more impatient of the circumstance that another day would have to drag itself away wearily before he could set out for that spot of earth whereon a soft thought of him might perhaps be nourished still . On a sudden he admitted to his mind the possibility that the engagement he was waiting in town to keep might be postponed without much harm . It was no sooner perceived than attempted . Looking at his watch , he found it wanted forty minutes to the departure of the ten o'clock train from Paddington , which left him a surplus quarter of an hour before it would be necessary to start for the station . Scribbling a hasty note or two -- one putting off the business meeting , another to Knight apologizing for not being able to see him in the evening -- paying his bill , and leaving his heavier luggage to follow him by goods-train , he jumped into a cab and rattled off to the Great Western Station . Shortly afterwards he took his seat in the railway carriage . The guard paused on his whistle , to let into the next compartment to Smith 's a man of whom Stephen had caught but a hasty glimpse as he ran across the platform at the last moment .