ten o'clock
His apparent aloofness multiplied his power . He held no office ; he made no speeches ; he had no obvious axe to grind . He seemed to count politics his diversion , not his business , and emphasized this attitude by a strict supervision of the huge commercial enterprise whose head he was . He arrived in this company 's offices punctually at ten o'clock , and here he was readily accessible throughout the working day , a figure as politically unprofessional as one could imagine . Yet politically he was as absolute as a boss ever is . At once the most abused , hated , dreaded , liked , and respected man in the state , fables without number clustered round his elusive personality . One account would paint him a church deacon , frock-coated , smug ; another with cloven hoof .