About eight o'clock
Two days later came a note from Staple Inn , inviting him to meet Malkin the next evening . By this time he had made a beginning of his critical essay , and the exordium so far satisfied him that he was tempted to take it for Earwaker 's judgment . But no ; better his friend should see the thing when it was complete . About eight o'clock he reached the journalist 's chambers . Malkin had not yet arrived . Peak amused himself with examining certain tropical products which the traveller had recently cast pell-mell into his friend 's sitting-room . Then sounded a knock at the door , but it was not such as would have heralded the expected man .