midnight before
On his way , he sent off a telegram to the shipowner stating that John Rivière would call at Leadenhall Street at eleven o'clock in the morning . In the coffee-room of the Avon Hotel he sat down to write a long letter to Elaine which would explain all that had been hidden from her . Without sparing himself one jot he told her of the circumstances of his life since the crucial night of March 14th , and of the deception he carried out with her as well as with the rest of the world . It was long past midnight before he put to the letter the signature of `` Clifford Matheson . '' And then with a stab of pain he remembered that Elaine could not read it . There were passages in the letter which must not be read to her by any outside person . It was evident that what he had to tell her would have to be said by word of mouth .