seven o'clock
`` If we had not determined to teach them a lesson , we would turn down their challenge and state our reason in good plain English . '' The evening of the St. Valentine masquerade was always a gala one on the campus . Dinner was served promptly at five-thirty . By seven o'clock , if the weather permitted , masked figures in twos , threes and groups might be seen parading the campus . Eight o'clock saw the beginning of the grand march . Unmasking took place at half-past nine . Then the dance continued merrily until midnight .