half past ten o'clock
At last he zigzagged his way through devious channels and into the presence of a company 's official , who informed him that Miss Ridge had not gone aboard nor had she presented herself at the dock during the evening . Hugh 's jaw dropped and a sick , damp perspiration started on his forehead . Hardly knowing what he did , he went aboard and plied his questions right and left , hoping that she might have come through unobserved . But she was not there , and it was half past ten o'clock . Out into the drizzle he sallied once more , racked by a hundred doubts and misgivings . Reproaching himself fiercely for a fool , a dolt , he posted himself at the approach to the dock and strained his eyes and ears for the first sight of Grace Vernon . Other people went aboard , but an hour passed before he gave up all hope and distractedly made up his mind to institute a search for the missing girl .