a few minutes after ten o'clock
And , alas ! through my fault , so was Brian . After going so far , I could not afford to be thrown back without a struggle ; and I went downstairs prepared to fight . It was not yet late ; only a few minutes after ten o'clock ; and though the Becketts and Brian were on the road to sleep , the hotel was awake , and even lively in its wakefulness . The door of the public _ salon _ stood open , and the electric light had come on again . At the table , in the centre of the room , sat Mr. Julian O'Farrell , _ alias _ Giulio di Napoli , conspicuously interested in an illustrated paper . He jumped up at sight of me , and smiled a brilliant smile of welcome , but did not speak .