Ten minutes to three
And the hands of the great clock in the right wing of the castle now marked twenty minutes to three . In spite of herself , her eyes wandered to the clock every minute . She also watched Velmont , who was calmly swinging to and fro in a comfortable rocking chair . Ten minutes to three ! ... Five minutes to three ! ... Nelly was impatient and anxious . Was it possible that Arsène Lupin would carry out his promise at the appointed hour , when the castle , the courtyard , and the park were filled with people , and at the very moment when the officers of the law were pursuing their investigations ?