nearly three o’clock
`` You had better do that yourself ! '' he replied . This time he walked off , and I reflected rather dolefully that the only clear result of my undertaking would probably have been to make it vivid to him that she was in love with him . Mrs. Nettlepoint came up as she had announced , but the day was half over : it was nearly three o'clock . She was accompanied by her son , who established her on deck , arranged her chair and her shawls , saw she was protected from sun and wind , and for an hour was very properly attentive . While this went on Grace Mavis was not visible , nor did she reappear during the whole afternoon . I had n't observed that she had as yet been absent from the deck for so long a period .