eleven o'clock
But though the wedding day had loomed so near , and the banns were out , she delayed her departure till this last moment , saying it was not necessary for her to be at home long beforehand . As Mr. Heddegan was older than herself , she said , she was to be married in her ordinary summer bonnet and grey silk frock , and there were no preparations to make that had not been amply made by her parents and intended husband . In due time , after a hot and tedious journey , she reached Pen-zephyr . She here obtained some refreshment , and then went towards the pier , where she learnt to her surprise that the little steamboat plying between the town and the islands had left at eleven o'clock ; the usual hour of departure in the afternoon having been forestalled in consequence of the fogs which had for a few days prevailed towards evening , making twilight navigation dangerous . This being Saturday , there was now no other boat till Tuesday , and it became obvious that here she would have to remain for the three days , unless her friends should think fit to rig out one of the island ' sailing - boats and come to fetch her -- a not very likely contingency , the sea distance being nearly forty miles . Baptista , however , had been detained in Pen-zephyr on more than one occasion before , either on account of bad weather or some such reason as the present , and she was therefore not in any personal alarm . But , as she was to be married on the following Wednesday , the delay was certainly inconvenient to a more than ordinary degree , since it would leave less than a day 's interval between her arrival and the wedding ceremony .