An hour an half for dinner and a cigar
afterwards, and half an hour to get to the railway station would
not be more than time enough.
But of all men alive Dolly Longstaff was the most unpunctual. He
did not arrive till eight. The others were not there before half-
past seven, and it was nearly eight before any of them sat down.
At half-past eight Silverbridge began to be very anxious about his
brother, and told him that he ought to start without further
delay. A hansom cab was waiting at the door, but Lord Gerald still
delayed. He knew, he said, that the special would not start till
half-past nine. There were a lot of fellows who were dining about
everywhere, and they would never get to the station by the hour
fixed. It became apparent to the elder brother that Gerald would
stay altogether unless he were forced to go, and at last he did
get up and pushed the young fellow out. 'Drive like the very
devil,' he said to the cabman, explaining to him something of the
circumstances. The cabman did do his best, but a cab cannot be
made to travel from the Beargarden, which as all the world knows
is close to St James's Street, to Liverpool Street in the City in
ten minutes.
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