five minutes to four
The first day of a new term always seems intolerably long , and with such an interesting event as a ballot before them most of the girls felt the hour and a half to drag , and turned many surreptitious glances towards wrist watches . Merle in especial , who hated French translation , groaned as she looked up words in the dictionary , and made several stupid mistakes , because her thoughts were focussed on the election instead of on the matter in hand . Once she yawned openly , and drew down a reproof from Mademoiselle , whereupon she heaved a submissive sigh , controlled her boredom , and went on wearily transferring the flowery sentiments of Fénelon into the English tongue . At precisely five minutes to four the big bell clanged out a warning , dictionaries were shut , exercise-books handed in , pencil-boxes replaced in desks , and the class filed downstairs to the big schoolroom . Miss Pollard was not there : she was busy in the hostel ; and Miss Fanny , looking rather flustered and nervous , had evidently given over the conduct of the meeting to Miss Mitchell , and was present merely as a spectator . The new mistress seemed perfectly at home and ready for the occasion . She passed round pieces of paper , inquired whether everybody had a pencil , then made her announcements .