ten minutes to eight
`` Captain Griffiths to see your ladyship . '' Philippa 's fingers rested for a moment upon the keyboard of the piano before which she was seated , awaiting Lessingham 's arrival . Then she glanced at the clock . It was ten minutes to eight . `` You can show him in , Mills , if he wishes to see me . '' Captain Griffiths was ushered into the room -- awkward , unwieldly , nervous as usual . He entered as though in a hurry , and there was nothing in his manner to denote that he had spent the last few hours making up his mind to this visit .