six o'clock in the afternoon
Seeing that he was determined to stick to his terms , I departed . I telegraphed to Sheldon for instructions as to whether I was to give Goodge the money he asked , and then went back to my inn , where I devoted myself for the next ten minutes to the study of a railway time-table , with a view to finding the best route to Spotswold . After a close perusal of bewildering strings of proper names and dazzling columns of figures , I found a place called Black Harbour , `` for Wisborough , Spotswold , and Chilton . '' A train left Ullerton for Black Harbour at six o'clock in the afternoon , and was due at the latter place at 8.40 . This gave me an interval of some hours , in which I could do nothing , unless I received a telegram from Sheldon . The chance of a reply from him kept me a prisoner in the coffee-room of the Swan Inn , where I read almost every line in the local and London newspapers pending the arrival of the despatch , which came at last . `` Tell Goodge he shall have the sum asked , and get the letters at once .