seven o'clock
Why ca n't they be more open ? '' Master Mordaunt , who was in the corner devouring some jelly and pastry given to him by his fond mother , looked up and said , with distended cheeks -- `` Ai n't the beach open enough ? '' `` Hold your tongue , you horrid little animal , '' said the irate Juliette . Myra and Sheila , both early risers , were dressed and awaiting Grainger on the verandah when he came out of his room at seven o'clock , and they at once descended the steep Melton Hill to the beach . The morning was delightfully fresh and cool , and the smooth waters of Cleveland Bay were rippling gently to a fresh southerly breeze . Eastward , and seven miles away , the lofty green hills and darker-hued valleys of Magnetic Island stood clearly out in the bright sunlight , and further to the north Great Palm Island loomed purple-grey against the horizon . Overhead was a sky of clear blue , flecked here and there by a few fleecy clouds , and below , on the landward side , a long , long curve of yellow beach trending from a small rocky and tree-clad point on the south to the full-bosomed and majestic sweep of Cape Halifax to the north .