noon precisely
His orders were ruthless orders . The instrument he used was a very perfect one . He carried out his orders with the utmost precision and thoroughness ; and his method was the surest , quickest , and , perhaps , the only way of taking possession of England . At noon precisely , the Lord Mayor of London was brought before the German Commander-in-Chief in the audience chamber of the Mansion House , and formally placed under arrest . A triple cordon of sentries and two machine-gun parties were placed in charge of the Bank of England , and quarters were allotted for two German regiments in the immediate vicinity . Two machine-guns were brought into position in front of the Stock Exchange , and all avenues leading from the heart of the City were occupied by mixed details of cavalry and infantry , each party having one machine-gun . My acquaintance , Wardle , of the _ Sunday News _ , was in the audience chamber of the Mansion House at this time , and he says that he never saw a man look more exhausted than General von Füchter , who , according to report , had not had an hour 's sleep during the week .