A quarter to seven
By the way , dear friends , what 's the time ? '' His question remained unanswered . And as the detectives had drawn the blinds , he was unable to consult the clocks in the street . * * * * * It was not until he was at Valenglay 's , in the Prime Minister 's little ground-floor flat near the Trocadero , that he saw a clock on the mantelpiece : `` A quarter to seven ! '' he exclaimed . `` Good ! There 's not been much time lost . ''