about ten minutes past six
But he felt no inclination to move ; and sat back , passive , looking at his own hands on his knees . But he was disappointed that nothing had happened . Then the thought of time came into his mind . He supposed that it would be about ten minutes past six . The sitting had begun a little before six . He glanced up at the clock on the mantelpiece ; but it was one of those bulgy-faced Empire gilt affairs that display everything except the hour . He still waited a moment , feeling all this to be very unusual and unconventional .