nine
at night
Mrs. Grebbie -LRB- for that was her name -RRB- was by great good fortune heavily incommoded by the sea , and lay day and night on the broad of her back . We were besides the only creatures at all young on board the _ Rose _ , except a white-faced boy that did my old duty to attend upon the table ; and it came about that Catriona and I were left almost entirely to ourselves . We had the next seats together at the table , where I waited on her with extraordinary pleasure . On deck , I made her a soft place with my cloak ; and the weather being singularly fine for that season , with bright frosty days and nights , a steady , gentle wind , and scarce a sheet started all the way through the North Sea , we sat there -LRB- only now and again walking to and fro for warmth -RRB- from the first blink of the sun till eight or nine at night under the clear stars . The merchants or Captain Sang would sometimes glance and smile upon us , or pass a merry word or two and give us the go-by again ; but the most part of the time they were deep in herring and chintzes and linen , or in computations of the slowness of the passage , and left us to our own concerns , which were very little important to any but ourselves . At the first , we had a great deal to say , and thought ourselves pretty witty ; and I was at a little pains to be the _ beau _ , and she -LRB- I believe -RRB- to play the young lady of experience . But soon we grew plainer with each other ; I laid aside my high , clipped English -LRB- what little there was of it -RRB- and forgot to make my Edinburgh bows and scrapes ; she upon her side , fell into a sort of kind familiarity ; and we dwelt together like those of the same household , only -LRB- upon my side -RRB- with a more deep emotion .