about two o'clock
He saw the situation of her thoughts , and , in order to alleviate her concern , assured her he should find means to see her again in a very few weeks : meanwhile he communicated his reasons for departing , in which she readily acquiesced ; and having mutually consoled each other , their transports of grief subsided : and before Mrs. Gauntlet came downstairs , they were in a condition to behave with great decency and resignation . This good lady expressed her concern when she learned his resolution , saying , she hoped his occasions and inclinations would permit him to favour them with his agreeable company another time . The lieutenant , who began to be uneasy at Peregrine 's stay , knocked at the door , and , being introduced by his friend , had the honour of breakfasting with the ladies ; on which occasion his heart received such a rude shock from the charms of Emilia , that he afterwards made a merit with his friend of having constrained himself so far , as to forbear commencing his professed rival . At length they bade adieu to their kind entertainers ; and in less than an hour setting out from the inn , arrived about two o'clock in Winchester , where Mr. Jolter was overwhelmed with joy at their appearance . The nature of this adventure being unknown to all except those who could be depended upon , everybody who inquired about the cause of Peregrine 's absence , was told that he had been with a relation in the country , and the master condescended to overlook his indiscretion ; so that Hatchway , seeing everything settled to the satisfaction of his friend , returned to the garrison , and gave the commodore an account of his expedition . The old gentleman was very much startled when he heard there was a lady in the case , and very emphatically observed , that a man had better be sucked into the gulf of Florida than once get into the indraught of a woman ; because , in one case , he may with good pilotage bring out his vessel safe between the Bahamas and the Indian shore ; but in the other there is no outlet at all , and it is in vain to strive against the current ; so that of course he must be embayed , and run chuck upon a lee-shore . He resolved , therefore , to lay the state of the case before Gamaliel Pickle , and concert such measures with him as should be thought likeliest to detach his son from the pursuit of an idle amour , which could not fail of interfering in a dangerous manner with the plan of his education .