ten
o’clock before
Mrs. Morton was persuaded that the child only sulked , and would come back fast enough when he was hungry . Mr. Spencer tried to believe her , and ate his mutton , which was burnt to a cinder ; but when five , six , seven o'clock came , and the boy was still missing , -- even Mrs. Morton agreed that it was high time to institute a regular search . The whole family set off different ways . It was ten o'clock before they were reunited ; and then all the news picked up was , that a boy , answering Sidney 's description , had been seen with a young man in three several parts of the town ; the last time at the outskirts , on the high road towards the manufacturing districts . These tidings so far relieved Mr. Morton 's mind that he dismissed the chilling fear that had crept there , -- that Sidney might have drowned himself . Boys will drown themselves sometimes ! The description of the young man coincided so remarkably with the fellow-passenger of Mr. Spencer , that he did not doubt it was the same ; the more so when he recollected having seen him with a fair-haired child under the portico ; and yet more , when he recalled the likeness to Catherine that had struck him in the coach , and caused the inquiry that had roused Philip 's suspicion .