nine o'clock
The water 's fine ! '' invited Marjorie Dean , beckoning with one round , dripping arm to the girl on the sands , while with the other she kept herself lazily afloat . The sun of a perfect August morning poured down upon the white beach , dotted here and there with ambitious bathers , who had grasped Time firmly by his venerated forelock , and fared forth with the proverbial early bird for a morning dip in a deceitfully dimpled and smiling sea . It was not yet nine o'clock , but , fearful of losing a minute of her precious seaside vacation , Marjorie Dean had come down to her favorite playground for her usual early morning swim . `` I know it 's fine , '' laughed Constance Stevens , `` but this nice white sand is even finer . '' `` You 'll never learn to swim if you just sit on the beach and dream , '' reminded Marjorie . `` I feel that it 's my stern duty to see that your education as a water paddler is not neglected .