three in the afternoon
The sea had disclosed to him a vision . Poetry , Philosophy , Beauty , Art , the love and joy of life -- was it possible that these should exist in the same world as those ? He glanced at the book upon his knees , and contrasted the beautiful things in it which he remembered with the terrible things he had just seen , the things that were waiting for their food under the keel of the ship . It was three bells -- half-past three in the afternoon -- and the ship 's bell had just rung out . The stewardess appeared to take the children below ; and as they vanished down the saloon companion-way Captain Le Farge came aft , on to the poop , and stood for a moment looking over the sea on the port side , where a bank of fog had suddenly appeared like the spectre of a country . `` The sun has dimmed a bit , '' said he ; `` I can a ' most look at it . Glass steady enough -- there 's a fog coming up -- ever seen a Pacific fog ? ''