Sentence:  But the journey might have been one of several hours' duration, without provoking a <WSD>remark</WSD> from either; for it was clear that Jonas did not mean to break the silence which prevailed between them, and that it was not, as yet, his dear friend's cue to tempt them into conversation. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An expression, in speech or writing, of something remarked or noticed; a mention of something