five minutes to
seven
The next evening we were all in a little gentle flutter at the idea of the gaiety before us . Miss Matty went up to dress betimes , and hurried me until I was ready , when we found we had an hour-and-a-half to wait before the `` doors opened at seven precisely . '' And we had only twenty yards to go ! However , as Miss Matty said , it would not do to get too much absorbed in anything , and forget the time ; so she thought we had better sit quietly , without lighting the candles , till five minutes to seven . So Miss Matty dozed , and I knitted . At length we set off ; and at the door under the carriage-way at the `` George , '' we met Mrs Forrester and Miss Pole : the latter was discussing the subject of the evening with more vehemence than ever , and throwing X 's and B 's at our heads like hailstones . She had even copied one or two of the `` receipts '' -- as she called them -- for the different tricks , on backs of letters , ready to explain and to detect Signor Brunoni 's arts .