a quarter to ten
During the course of the day Percival visited the purser at regular intervals , demanding that his room-mate be removed . But the purser was a sturdy Hamburger , and the very sight of a monocle affected his disposition . Meanwhile Mr. Andy Black had made good use of his time . At the end of twenty-four hours he had spoken to virtually everybody on board , including the gray-haired old missionary who passed cream-peppermints about the deck at a quarter to ten every morning . He had played quoits with Elise Weston , punched the bag with the college boys , and taught Bobby Boynton to dance the tango . So obnoxious was the sight of him to the Honorable Percival that he turned his chair to the wall and buried himself in `` Guillim 's Display of Heraldry . '' He considered it as a personal affront on the part of Fate that just as he was beginning to find the voyage endurable this prancing young montebank should appear to spoil everything .