eight o'clock
Why had he taken her to that grim , hateful house by the river ? At the House by the Lock I would have wished to wait for Cunningham , both because I wanted him with me , and because I was anxious to hear what he had done at Scotland Yard . However , he did not come , so I wired him to the latter place , left a short note for him also at the hotel , to be kept till called for , and started off in a cab -LRB- when I dared delay no longer -RRB- at breakneck pace for Paddington station . I just caught the train I wanted , changed at Maidenhead , and arrived at Marlow by half-past eight o'clock . This time I had neither leisure nor inclination to walk , as upon my first visit to the place on Christmas Day , but took a fly , and offered the man an extra fare if he would make haste . A little short of the House by the Lock I stopped him . A certain instinct seemed to bid me not be too ostentatious in the manner of announcing my arrival .