about ten
at night
But I had seen no more of Deeping nor had I heard from him , when abruptly I found myself plunged again into the very vortex of his troubled affairs . I was half way through a long article , I remember , upon the mystery of the outrage at the docks . The poor steward whose hand had been severed lay in a precarious condition , but the police had utterly failed to trace the culprit . I had laid down my pen to relight my pipe -LRB- the hour was about ten at night -RRB- when a faint sound from the direction of the outside door attracted my attention . Something had been thrust through the letter-box . `` A circular , '' I thought , when the bell rang loudly , imperatively . I went to the door .