five minutes to nine
Ginger made a lot of objections , not because he did n't think it was a good idea , but because he did n't like Peter thinking of it instead of ` im ; but he gave way at last , and , arter he ` ad got the beard , he stood for a long time in front o ' the glass thinking wot a difference it would ha ' made to his looks if he had ` ad black ` air instead o ' red . Waiting for the evening made the day seem very long to 'em ; but it came at last , and , with the beards in their pockets , they slipped out and went for a walk round . They ` ad ` arf a pint each at a public - ` ouse at the top of the Minories , just to steady themselves , and then they came out and hooked on their beards ; and wot with them , and pulling their caps down and turning their coat-collars up , there was n't much of their faces to be seen by anybody . It was just five minutes to nine when they got to Tower Hill , and they walked down the middle of the road , keeping a bright lookout for old Sam . A little way down they saw a couple o ' chaps leaning up agin a closed gate in the dock wall lighting their pipes , and Peter and Ginger both nudged each other with their elbows at the same time . They ` ad just got to the bottom of the Hill when Sam turned the corner . Peter would n't believe at fust that the old man was n't really the worse for liquor , ' e was so lifelike .