two o'clock
This impression , however , had always died out in a short time , and he had somehow come to accept the general opinion unquestioningly , that she would accept Carthew when he proposed . He had been prepared to face the alternative of either suffering her to marry a scoundrel , or of taking a step more repugnant to him , which would probably end by an entire breach of his friendship with the Greendales , that of telling them this story . He was therefore delighted to find that the difficulty had been solved by Bertha herself without his intervention , and felt absolutely grateful for the accident which had cost him the Queen 's Cup , but had at the same time opened Bertha 's eyes to the man 's true character . Soon after two o'clock he went ashore in the gig , and at the half hour Lady Greendale and Bertha came down . `` The Osprey looks like a bird shorn of its wings , '' he said , as he handed them into the boat ; `` and though the men have made everything as tidy as they could , the two missing spars quite spoil her appearance . '' `` That does not matter in the least , Frank , '' Lady Greendale said . `` We know how she looks when she is at her best .