about four o'clock
When at last , between ten and eleven o'clock one morning , she weighed anchor , and before a light north-westerly breeze , with her small sails set , glided out to sea , the quays were crowded with spectators , the majority of the crew belonging to the place , and it being generally known that they were bound on a longer voyage than usual . On board she had with her still the captain 's son , Carl Beck , a smart young naval officer , with his sister and a small party of their friends , who meant to land out on the Torungens in the sailing-boat they had in tow . They wished to remain with her as long as possible , and for the purpose had made up a party to the islands , where the gentlemen proposed to shoot some of the sea-fowl , which are to be found out there on the rocks in swarms at the spring season of the year on their passage north along the coast . It was about four o'clock when they passed Little Torungen ; and as there were swells then bursting in white jets upon the reefs , and a line of dark fire-fringed clouds about the sunset , which looked like heavy weather coming up , the pleasure party determined to leave the vessel here , instead of going on , as they had intended , to the larger of the two islands . As they went over the side Salvé Kristiansen was standing out on the forecastle gazing eagerly over to where the barren mass of rock lay like a dipping hull in the distance , bathed in the evening sun , and with a fringe of foam round its base ; and he could see old Jacob 's granddaughter standing by the wall of the house with the glass . He had chosen on purpose a conspicuous place , and stood with his back against the stay , so heavy of heart and sad at having to go away , that it would have taken very little to make him burst into tears . It seemed to have dawned upon him all of a sudden that he was in love .