twelve o'clock
Mr. Quintus Slide absolutely came down , and was proposed by Mr. Vellum for the borough . Mr. Vellum being a gentleman learned in the law , and hostile to the interests of the noble owner of Saulsby , was able to raise a little trouble against our hero . Mr. Slide was proposed by Mr. Vellum , and seconded by Mr. Vellum 's clerk , -- though , as it afterwards appeared , Mr. Vellum 's clerk was not in truth an elector , -- and went to the poll like a man . He received three votes , and at twelve o'clock withdrew . This in itself could hardly have afforded compensation for the expense which Mr. Slide or his backers must have encountered ; -- but he had an opportunity of making a speech , every word of which was reported in the _ People 's Banner _ ; and if the speech was made in the language given in the report , Mr. Slide was really possessed of some oratorical power . Most of those who read the speech in the columns of the _ People 's Banner _ were probably not aware how favourable an opportunity of retouching his sentences in type had been given to Mr. Slide by the fact of his connection with the newspaper . The speech had been very severe upon our hero ; and though the speaker had been so hooted and pelted at Loughton as to have been altogether inaudible , -- so maltreated that in point of fact he had not been able to speak above a tenth part of his speech at all , -- nevertheless the speech did give Phineas a certain amount of pain .