nine o'clock
They were then in a bath of foam ; their flanks heaving like to burst . Learning from the turnpike man that he could obtain a change of horses at the `` Bull '' inn , Desmond drove there , and was soon upon his way again . While the change was being made , he obtained from the lady the address in Soho Square where she was staying . The new horses were fresh ; the carriage rattled through Gunnersbury , past the turnpike at Hammersmith and through Kensington , and soon after nine o'clock Desmond had the satisfaction of pulling up at the door of Sheriff Soames ' mansion in Soho Square . The door was already open , the rattle of wheels having brought lackeys with lighted torches to welcome the belated travelers . Torches flamed in the cressets on both sides of the entrance . The hall was filled with servants and members of the household , and in the bustle that ensued when the ladies in their brocades and hoops had entered the house , Desmond saw an opportunity of slipping away .