eleven o'clock at night
He felt for the girl 's humiliation , and , though not in love with her , he was conscious of a sentiment that hated to see her hurt . He would not accept Florence 's invitation to dine in the saloon , sending word that he had a headache and begged to be excused ; and after dinner , when she sought him out on deck and tried to make herself very sweet to him , he was purposely reserved and distant , and look the first opportunity to move away . He was angry , disheartened , and resentful , all in one . Towards eleven o'clock at night as Frank was in the engine-room , moodily turning over these reflections in his mind and listening to the race of the screws as again and again they were lifted out of the water and strained the shafts and engines to the utmost , he was surprised to see Florence herself descending the steel ladder into that close atmosphere of oil and steam . He ran to help her down , and taking her arm led her to one side , where they might be out of the way . Here , in the glare of the lanterns , he looked down into her face and thought again how beautiful she was . Her cheek was wet with spray , and her hair was tangled and glistening beneath her little yachting cap .