twenty minutes to five
The ices can be brought in after tea , say at twenty minutes past five . It would n't do to have them melting while we were at the cakes , and I insist on a good fire . '' The head waiter recapitulated my orders to make sure that he had got them right and then left me . At twenty minutes to five Lalage and Hilda arrived . They looked very hot , which pleased me . I had been feeling a little nervous about the ices . They explained breathlessly that they were sorry for being late .