eight
o'clock
So , after a short wooing , he married her and her five thousand pounds a year , and settled down in Park Crescent , Portland Place , so as to be near the Zoo and Tudell 's dissecting rooms , to have the Royal Botanic gardens within three minutes ' walk , and the opportunity of turning a large studio in the rear of his house into a well-equipped chemical and dissecting laboratory . One of his close pursuits at that time was the analysis of the Thyroid gland and its functions , its over or under development in British statesmen , dramatic authors and East End immigrants . It is in the spring of 1901 . A fine warm evening , but at eight o'clock the dusk is already on the verge of darkness as Honoria emerges from the lift at her Chancery Lane Office -LRB- near the corner of Carey Street -RRB- , puts her latch-key into the door of the partners ' room , and finds herself confronting the silhouette of a young man against the western glow of the big window . _ Norie _ -LRB- inwardly rather frightened -RRB- : `` Hullo ! Who are _ you _ and what are you doing here ? '' _ Vivie _ -LRB- mimicking a considerate , cringing burglar -RRB- : `` Sorry to startle you , lidy , but I do n't mean no ` arm .