twelve o'clock
During the winter , the invitation to go for a cruise in the yacht that was in process of building for him hung over me like a cloud ; a timely strike in the builder 's yard brought a respite , and , in fact , placed the completion of the yacht at so safe a distance that I was betrayed into specious regrets , echoed with an atrocious sincerity by Philippa . Into a life pastorally compounded of Petty Sessions and lawn-tennis parties , retribution fell when it was least expected . Bernard Shute hired a yacht in Queenstown , and one short week afterwards the worst had happened , and we were packing our things for a cruise in her , the only alleviation being the knowledge that , whether by sea or land , I was bound to return to my work in four days . We left Shreelane at twelve o'clock , a specially depressing hour for a start , when breakfast has died in you , and lunch is still remote . My last act before mounting the dogcart was to put her collar and chain on Maria and immure her in the potato-house , whence , as we drove down the avenue , her wails rent the heart of Philippa and rejoiced mine . It was a very hot day , with a cloudless sky ; the dust lay thick on the white road , and on us also , as , during two baking hours , we drove up and down the long hills and remembered things that had been left behind , and grew hungry enough to eat sandwiches that tasted suspiciously of roast beef . The yacht was moored in Clountiss Harbour ; we drove through the village street , a narrow and unlovely thoroughfare , studded with public-houses , swarming with children and poultry , down through an ever-growing smell of fish , to the quay .