five minutes past nine
And to stay in a half hour on one 's birthday with a party on foot was unthinkable . Why it would be most dark when she got home ! And her mother -- well , maybe her mother would n't say very much since it was her birthday , but Jane was n't keen about hearing what she would say . She dragged herself reluctantly up the stairs , taking an unnecessarily long time to hang up her wraps and it was fully five minutes past nine when she took her seat . Miss Brown looked severe . `` You understand this means thirty minutes after school . I have told you I will not tolerate tardiness . ''