a quarter to five
The sensation he had undergone was unmistakable ; the hall was full of ghosts , and he had been conscious of their presence . This , then , was apparently what Lubin had alluded to . Oh , it was all real enough -- there was no room left for any doubt whatever . It was a quarter to five when he took leave of his entertainer , responding warmly to an injunction to look in again whenever he felt disposed . He walked very thoughtfully homewards , revolving many questions in his busy brain . How much he had seen and learnt since he left home that morning ! Worlds of beauty , of art , of intellect had dawned upon his consciousness ; a world of mystery too .