eight minutes to five
Nobody ever spoke in loud tones near Mr. Hepplewhite because Mr. Hepplewhite did not like anything loud -- not even clothes . He was , as we have said , quite one of the nicest men in New York . At the moment when Mrs. Witherspoon made her appearance he was sitting in his library reading a copy of `` Sainte-Beuve '' and waiting for Bibby , the butler , to announce tea . It was eight minutes to five and there was still eight minutes to wait ; so Mr. Hepplewhite went on reading `` Sainte-Beuve . '' Then `` Mrs. Witherspoon ! '' intoned Bibby , and Mr. Hepplewhite rose quickly , adjusted his eye-glass and came punctiliously forward . `` My dear Mrs. Witherspoon ! ''