noon
And it was this romantic folly of his which vexed him now ; not the fact that a simple child over whose fate he had sentimentalized , was a rich and popular stage-dancer . Miss Ray was probably a good enough young woman according to her lights , and it was not she who need be shamed by the success of the Channel boat comedy . He had another day and night in Paris , where he did more sightseeing than he had ever accomplished before in a dozen visits , and then travelled on to Marseilles . The slight damage to the _ Charles Quex _ had been repaired , and at noon the ship was to sail . Stephen went on board early , as he could think of nothing else which he preferred to do , and he was repaid for his promptness . By the time he had seen his luggage deposited in the cabin he had secured for himself alone , engaged a deck chair , and taken a look over the ship -- which was new , and as handsome as much oak , fragrant cedar-wood , gilding , and green brocade could make her -- many other passengers were coming on board . Travelling first class were several slim French officers , and stout Frenchmen of the commercial class ; a merry theatrical company going to act in Algiers and Tunis ; an English clergyman of grave aspect ; invalids with their nurses , and two or three dignified Arabs , evidently of good birth as well as fortune .