six
o'clock
When we got in sight of my native shore , England , Scotland , and even the longed-for Italy , with her palaces and gondolas , faded from my mind , and my every fibre tingled with pride and patriotism . We reached our dock about six o'clock in the afternoon , and I could scarcely stand still , so anxious was I to get ashore . There was a train at eight which reached Rockbridge at half-past nine , and there we could take a carriage and drive to the farm in less than an hour , and then Corinne would be in my arms , so you may imagine my state of mind -- Corinne before bedtime ! But a cloud blacker than the heaviest fog came down upon me , for while we was standing on the deck , expecting every minute to land , a man came along and shouted at the top of his voice that no baggage could be examined by the custom-house officers after six o'clock , and the passengers could take nothing ashore with them but their hand-bags , and must come back in the morning and have their baggage examined . When I heard this my soul simply boiled within me ! I looked at Jone , and I could see he was boiling just as bad . `` Jone , '' said I , `` do n't say a word to me . ''