About four o'clock
Mr. Fenshawe stiffly declined , on the plea that he did not wish to interrupt the voyage , and the envoy went back to his ship . The _ Aphrodite _ swung round into the wind , dipped her ensign , and was soon bowling along at her usual rate . The _ Cigno _ stood away for the coast , but , as the day wore , it was palpable that she did not mean to part company with the yacht until the Straits of Bab-el-mandeb were passed . About four o'clock the wind dropped and the engines were called on . With the night the wind rose again but veered to the south . The _ Cigno 's _ lights were clearly visible at about three miles ' distance . Her white masthead light watched the Aphrodite without blinking , while her red and green eyes suggested to Irene 's fancy some fabled monster of the deep waiting to pounce on the yacht if she deviated an inch from her seaward course .