ten
o'clock
He made himself comfortable with morning papers and a novel -- not one of Mr. Stanhope 's -- and began to seek beguilement . But his reading went forward rather fitfully . There were long intervals when his book , `` eleventh printing '' though it was , slipped forgotten to his knees , and he sat staring thoughtfully over the sunny water ... . Peter failed to keep his promise about returning to the yacht at ten o'clock . In fact , it was four o'clock that afternoon when he arrived , and at that , the manner in which he sprang up the stair indicated him as a man who had but few moments to spare to yachts and that sort of thing . Varney , at his ease upon the transom , watched his friend 's approach with a quizzical eye . `` Greetings , old comrade !