About six o'clock
Such , in short , had been his frame of mind up to eight o'clock of the previous evening . At that hour he had made a discovery which had diverted the entire trend of his thoughts . Doggott , ever a poor sailor , had been feeling ill and Amber had excused him early in the afternoon . About six o'clock he had gone to his stateroom and dressed for dinner , unattended . Absorbed in anticipations of the morrow , when first he should set foot in Calcutta and take the first step in pursuit of Sophia Farrell , he had absent-mindedly neglected to empty the pockets of his discarded clothing . At seven he had gone to dinner , leaving his stateroom door open , as was his habit -- a not unusual one with first-cabin passengers on long voyages -- and his flannels swinging from hooks in the wall . About eight , discovering his oversight through the absence of his cigarette-case , he had hurried back to the stateroom to discover that he had been curiously robbed .