nine o'clock
On the afternoon of the 3rd day of January , therefore , Eustace Daintree drove his sister-in-law over to Shadonake in the open basket pony-carriage , and deposited her and her box safely at the stone-colonnaded door of that most imposing mansion , which she entered exactly ten minutes before the dressing-bell rang , and was conducted almost immediately upstairs to her own room . Some twenty minutes later there are still two ladies sitting on in the small tea-room , where it is the fashion at Shadonake to linger between the hours of five and seven , who alone have not yet moved to obey the mandate of the dressing-bell . `` What _ is _ the good of waiting ? '' says Beatrice , impatiently ; `` the train is often late , and , besides , he may not come till the nine o'clock train . '' `` That is just what I want to wait for , '' answers Helen Romer . `` I want just to hear if the carriage has come back , and then I shall know for certain . '' `` Well , you know how frightfully punctual papa is , and how angry it makes him if anybody is late . ''