eight o'clock
`` Whatever is all this noise about , Ted ? You two great boys ! '' `` Oh , take Mallard away , Myra , for heaven 's sake ! '' A little before eight o'clock the deafening clamour of a gong announced dinner , and the company filed in . Mrs. Trappème and the Misses Trappème were in `` very much evening dress '' as Sheila murmured to Myra , and they seemed somewhat surprised that neither Miss Grainger nor Miss Carolan had donned anything more unusual than perfectly-made dainty gowns of cool white Indian muslin . Grainger and Mallard wore the usual white duck suits -LRB- the most suitable and favoured dress for a climate like that of torrid North Queensland -RRB- , and Sheila could not but admire their big well-set-up figures -- both were `` six feet men '' -- and contrast their handsome , bronzed and bearded faces with the insignificant appearance of Assheton and another gentleman in evening dress -- a delicate but exceedingly gentlemanly young Scotsman . Of course there were more introductions -- all of which were duly and unnecessarily carried out by Mrs. Trappème .