ten o'clock
Well did the ancients represent them as three haggard , blear-eyed , wrinkled , spiteful , old maids , who would not allow any poor mortal to live or die comfortably , and who took a malicious pleasure in disturbing `` the course of true love . '' The inexorable Atropos brandished her scissors , and at one snip severed the thread asunder . Daring the night there had been a tremendous thunder-squall , and the morning showed huge `` double-headed '' clouds , mustering in different parts of the horizon , and , apparently , waiting some signal to bid them commence operations ; others , dark and suspicious looking , but of a less dense consistence , were seen scampering across the firmament in all directions , like aids-de-camp before a general engagement ; the land-breeze had been interrupted by the night-squall , and the wind , what little there was , blew from every point of the compass but the usual one ; the shags , that tenanted the top of Pedro Blanco , seemed unusually busy , as if anticipating a change of weather ; and , in short , every thing announced that the delightful , salubrious , dry season had come to an end , and the empire of continual rain , and drizzle , and cloud , and mud , and putrid fevers , and rheumatism , and every thing disagreeable , had commenced . Still the day was delightful after ten o'clock , and the weather as clear as ever . Morton had seen these indications of the approach of wet weather with no small anxiety ; he knew full well that the governor and his family would pass the rainy season at Tepic , a city about ninety miles from the coast , or at some of the other large towns , in the more elevated and healthy regions inland . With Captain Hazard 's permission , he hastened to the town , and to Juanita 's house , but Isabella was not to be seen . After waiting for some time , a little girl brought him a short note , simply saying that she would see him in the evening , but could not before .