twelve o'clock
And now occurred a wonderful case of presence of mind on the part of two small and tender boys . No sooner had Railsford entered , and somewhat hesitatingly advanced to the table , preparatory to stating his business , than Sir Digby Oakshott , Baronet , winked at Arthur Herapath , Esquire , and Arthur Herapath , Esquire , kicked Sir Digby Oakshott , Baronet , under the table ; after which both rose abruptly to their feet and bolted from the room , making the corridor echo with their laughter ! They explained afterwards that they wanted to bag front seats for the speeches ; and that , no doubt , was a highly satisfactory reason . At twelve o'clock , when the Earl of Somebody , and Sir Brown Robinson , and the other local celebrities and governors of the school entered the hall , that usually dingy room was packed from end to end by a brilliant and expectant crowd . The radiant faces of the boys peeped out from among the phalanges of their no less radiant people . The prize boys on the front benches kept up a running fire of talk and cheering ; the masters in their gowns beamed right and left , as if all of them put together could not give a fellow a hundred lines if he asked for it ; and the college servants , grouped at the doors , smiled as if no cloud had ever ruffled their temper since last speech-day : while the doctor , as he rose , resplendent in his academical robes , and called for silence , looked as if no more solemn question had engaged his attention all the term than the arrangement of his strings and the droop of the scarlet hood on his back . Then speech-day began .