two minutes to five
He did so , until midway in the afternoon . Perusal of old letters will not generally conduce to cheerfulness , and Glazzard once more felt his spirits sink , his brain grow feverishly active . Within reach of where he sat was a railway time-table ; he took it up , turned to the Great Western line , pondered , finally looked at his watch . At two minutes to five he alighted from a cab at Paddington Station -- rushed , bag in hand , to the booking-office -- caught the Bristol train just as the guard had signalled for starting . He was at Bristol soon after eight . The town being strange ground to him , he bade a cabman drive him to a good hotel , where he dined . Such glimpse as he had caught of the streets did not invite him forth , but neither could he sit unoccupied ; as the weather was fair , he rambled for an hour or two .