nearly two in the morning
The sea now quite covered two or three of her stepping-stones ; fierce surf broke over the rest with each advancing billow , and rendered the task of jumping from one to the other impracticable even for a strong and sure-footed man , far more for a slight girl of Cleer 's height and figure . In a moment the little prisoner took in the full horror of the situation . It was now about half tide , and seven o'clock in the evening . High water would therefore fall between ten and eleven ; and it must be nearly two in the morning , she calculated hastily , before the sea had gone down enough to let her cross over in safety . Even then , in the dark , she dared hardly face those treacherous stepping-stones . She must stop there till day broke , if she meant to get ashore again without unnecessary hazard . Cleer was a Trevennack , and therefore brave ; but the notion of stopping alone on that desolate island , thronged with gulls and cormorants , in the open air , through all those long dark hours till morning dawned , fairly frightened and appalled her .