ten minutes past eleven
The City -LRB- as it is called -RRB- is the most populous part of London in the daytime ; but at night , when it ceases to be the center of commerce , its busy population melts away , and the empty streets assume the appearance of a remote and deserted quarter of the metropolis . As the half hour after ten struck -- then the quarter to eleven -- then the hour -- the pavement steadily became more and more deserted . I could count the foot passengers now by twos and threes ; and I could see the places of public refreshment within my view beginning already to close for the night . I looked at the clock ; it pointed to ten minutes past eleven . At that hour , could I hope to meet Mrs. Van Brandt alone in the public street ? The more I thought of it , the less likely such an event seemed to be . The more reasonable probability was that I might meet her once more , accompanied by some friend -- perhaps under the escort of Van Brandt himself .