one minute to nine
It was hung with portraits of men and women and portraits of horses , some of the latter by animal painters of note . The furniture was all of massive mahogany , furniture that would last for ever , but had been made after the date at which furniture left off being beautiful as well as lasting . The mantelpiece was of brown marble , very heavy and very ugly . At one minute to nine Mrs. Clinton came in . She carried a little old-fashioned basket of keys which she put down on the dinner-wagon , exactly in the centre of the top shelf . Cicely came forward to kiss her , followed by Miss Bird , with comma-less inquiries as to how she had spent the night after her journey , and the twins came in through the long window to wish her good morning . She replied composedly to the old starling 's twittering , and cast her eye over the attire of the twins , which was sometimes known to require adjustment .