nine o'clock before
But he would do it without further delay , he would start for Paris the next day . Even the few hours of waiting seemed almost unbearable . The thought occurred to him to motor to London that night to catch the morning boat train from Victoria , but a glance at his watch convinced him of the impossibility of the idea . Owing to the delay of the train it had been nine o'clock before he reached the Towers . It was ten now . Another hour would be wasted before Phillipe and the car would be ready for the long run . And it was a wicked night to take a man out , the strain of driving under such conditions at top speed through the darkness would be tremendous .