a quarter past eight
Next to the letters lay an album in which his secretary had at last finished pasting his press-cuttings . He could not resist the temptation to glance at two or three of his favourite notices before opening the letters . The critics had treated him kindly , for he had been a critic himself and had not scrupled to secure a good press ; but mere flattery never kept a bad play running ... . He decided that he was going to enjoy his dinner with the Poynters , though the chiming of the clock in the hall warned him that he could not hope to be dressed and in Belgrave Square by a quarter past eight . The new Byron would achieve an effect , if he gained the reputation of _ always _ being ten minutes late for everything ; but the pose offended Eric 's sense of tidiness . Signing his letters , he ripped open half-a-dozen envelopes and glanced at the contents , pushed the news-cutting album neatly into its shelf and hurried into his bedroom with a glass of sherry in his hand . It was time to order a taxi , and a tall Scotch parlour-maid , of whom he lived in secret dread , came in answer to his ring .