twenty past five
It was a quarter past five on a fine morning , early in July . On the stroke of the quarter Captain Frank Drayton 's motor-car , after exceeding the speed limit along the forlorn highway of the Caledonian Road , drew up outside the main entrance of Holloway Gaol . Captain Frank Drayton was alone in his motor-car . He had the street all to himself till twenty past five , when he was joined by another motorist , also conspicuously alone in his car . Drayton tried hard to look as if the other man were not there . The other man tried even harder to look as if he were not there himself . He was the first to be aware of the absurdity of their competitive pretences .