eight o'clock
Thanks to the reserved seat which his friend 's reluctant liberality had furnished him , Varney was in no hurry to join the throng inside . Presently , to get clear of the rush at the doors , he strolled into the lobby and idly stood at one side , watching the people streaming by . Thus , by sheer luck , he became witness to the crucial episode of the evening . An oily Teutonic voice spoke just at his elbow : `` Id 's eight o'clock , I zee . We 'd better go back und gif Taylor his speech , I guess . '' The young man turned . He happened to be standing just in front of the little cubby of a box-office .