a quarter to five
And this was , and had always been , his tireless endeavour . Upon this day one of these hated moments of mental and physical exhaustion had come upon him , and he struggled hard against his enemy . The procession of patients had been long , and more than once in the tiny interval between the exit of one and the entry of another , Dr. Levillier had peeped at his watch . His last appointment was at a quarter to five , then he would be free , and he said to himself that he would take a cab and drive down to Victoria Street . Valentine was often at home about six . The doctor put aside the little devil of pride that whispered , `` You have been badly treated , '' and resolved to make the advance to this friend , who seemed to have forgotten him . In times of fatigue and depression he had often sought Valentine in order to be solaced by his music .