seven o'clock
St. Clare 's chapel in the old parish church of St. Nicholas was crowded every morning at five o'clock by an excited congregation of women , who came to beg God 's protection on their dear ones struggling out there somewhere towards the dawn with those cruel Southern monsters . Especially great was the crowd on the Tuesday morning following the departure of the ships ; for all day on Monday from time to time came a far-off rolling noise from the direction of Calais ; which many declared to be thunder , with an angry emphasis that betrayed their real opinion . When they came out of church that morning , and were streaming down to the quay as usual to see if any news had come in during the night , a seaman called to them from a window that a French vessel was just entering the harbour . When the women arrived at the water 's edge they found a good crowd already assembled on the quay , watching the ship beat in against the north-west wind , which had now set in ; but she aroused no particular comment as she was a well-known boat plying between Boulogne and Rye ; and by seven o'clock she was made fast to the quay . There were the usual formalities , stricter than usual during war , to be gone through before the few passengers were allowed to land : but all was in order ; the officers left the boat , and the passengers came up the plank , the crowd pressing forward as they came , and questioning them eagerly . No , there was no certain news , said an Englishman at last , who looked like a lawyer ; it was said at Boulogne the night before that there had been an engagement further up beyond the Straits ; they had all heard guns ; and it was reported by the last cruiser who came in before the boat left that a Spanish galleasse had run aground and had been claimed by M. Gourdain , the governor of Calais ; but probably , added the shrewd-eyed man , that was just a piece of their dirty French pride . The crowd smiled ruefully ; and a French officer of the boat who was standing by the gangway scowled savagely , as the lawyer passed on with a demure face .