nine
o'clock
` It 's a pity our ship is not one of the fast ones , if you are impatient . ' She was silent a moment ; then she exclaimed , ` Oh , I guess it will be fast enough ! ' That evening I went in to see Mrs. Nettlepoint and sat on her sea-trunk , which was pulled out from under the berth to accommodate me . It was nine o'clock but not quite dark , as our northward course had already taken us into the latitude of the longer days . She had made her nest admirably and lay upon her sofa in a becoming dressing-gown and cap , resting from her labours . It was her regular practice to spend the voyage in her cabin , which smelt good -LRB- such was the refinement of her art -RRB- , and she had a secret peculiar to herself for keeping her port open without shipping seas . She hated what she called the mess of the ship and the idea , if she should go above , of meeting stewards with plates of supererogatory food .