trol his laughter, and in the midst of it,
Myra tapped vigorously at the door, He rose and opened it.

"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. Trappeme and the Misses Trappeme
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 (the most suitable and favoured dress for a climate like that
of torrid North Queensland), 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. Trappeme. Others of that lady's guests were the local Episcopalian
clergyman and his wife--the former was a placid, dreamy-looking, mild
creature, with soft, kindly eyes. He smiled at everybody, was evidently
in abject terror of his wife--a hard-featured lady about ten years his
senior, with high cheek-bones and an exceedingly corrugated neck and
shoulders. She eyed Myra and Sheila with cold dissatisfaction, and
after dinner had once begun, devoted herself to the task of extracting
information from the latter regarding her future movements. She had
already discussed her with Mrs. Trappeme, and had informed her hostess
that she had "suspicions" about a girl who affected mystery in the
slightest degree, and who could afford to pay six guineas a week for
simple board and lodging.

"Quite so, Mrs. Wooler," Mrs. Trappeme had assented; "I must confess it
doesn't look quite right. Even Juliette thinks it very strange for her
to be so reticent as to who she is and where she is going. Of course I
could have refused to receive her, and am now rather sorry I did not. I
understood from her that Mr. Grainger was an utter stranger to her--and
I was quite surprised to see them all come in together as if they had
known each other for years. Not quite correct, I think."

"Mr. Grainger is very rich," said the clergyman's wife me