six o'clock in the
morning
He said that at first he thought it no use , as he knew his sister 's boat must have had a long start of them ; and later , when they had rowed some way , and considered they must have caught up with it , they had done so at intervals all night long , on the chance of her hearing . So I suppose that , either they were past the _ Thelma _ before they began to call , or else in the fog had got so far over on the other side of the channel that their voices had not reached me , as I was shut up in my cabin . So all the little mysteries were cleared up , and everything had `` come right in the end , '' as such things should . I have spent many a happy week-end since then at the Hall and on board the _ Thelma _ , and to my dying day I shall bless the fog of that September night , for Lilian has promised shortly to fix the day of our wedding , and we have both decided that part of the honeymoon at least is to be spent on board the _ Thelma _ ; and I really believe that we shall both be rather disappointed if we do not get a bit of foggy weather to remind us how we first made each other 's acquaintance , and made friends over `` whiting and tea '' in the little cabin at six o'clock in the morning . The paddle-steamer _ Queen of the Isles _ was alongside the quay at St. Mary 's , and had already given one shrill intimation that she was prepared to leave the harbour . Sydney and I were ready , with our portmanteaux strapped and our caps on , but the Honourable John had not yet appeared . We were impatient .