five o'clock
The sort of exultation he had discerned in Gwendolen this morning she now thought that she discerned in him ; and it was true that he had set his mind on this boating , and carried out his purpose as something that people might not expect him to do , with the gratified impulse of a strong will which had nothing better to exert itself upon . He had remarkable physical courage , and was proud of it -- or rather he had a great contempt for the coarser , bulkier men who generally had less . Moreover , he was ruling that Gwendolen should go with him . And when they came down again at five o'clock , equipped for their boating , the scene was as good as a theatrical representation for all beholders . This handsome , fair-skinned English couple , manifesting the usual eccentricity of their nation , both of them proud , pale , and calm , without a smile on their faces , moving like creatures who were fulfilling a supernatural destiny -- it was a thing to go out and see , a thing to paint . The husband 's chest , back , and arms , showed very well in his close-fitting dress , and the wife was declared to be a statue . Some suggestions were proffered concerning a possible change in the breeze , and the necessary care in putting about , but Grandcourt 's manner made the speakers understand that they were too officious , and that he knew better than they .