ten o'clock
But by this time Parliament 's days were numbered ; and , speculating on this , Mr. Newte -LRB- who was now Mayor of the Borough -RRB- played a stroke in a thousand . He persuaded the Overseers to make a return to the writ certifying they had obeyed it to the best of their skill and conscience , and drawn up a new list : which list they posted a fortnight later , and only seven days -- as it turned out -- before Parliament dissolved : and will you believe it , but the only difference between it and the old one was that they 'd added the name of Christiana Lebow , widow -- who , being a woman , had n't a vote at all ! But wait a bit ! The Overseers , choosing their time , had this new list posted in the church porch at ten o'clock one morning ; and having posted it , stepped across the road to the `` George and Dragon . '' The old inn used to stand slap opposite the church ; and there , in the parlour-window , were assembled all the Duke 's men -- Squire Martin and his son , Roger Newte , John a Hall , the Parson , and , all the rest of the gang -- as well to see how the people would take it as to give the timorous Overseers a backing . This was Newte 's idea -- to sit there in full view , put a bold face on it , and have the row -- if row there was to be -- over at once . And , to top it up , they had both the Whig candidates with them -- these having arrived in Ardevora three days before , and begun their canvass , knowing that Parliament must be dissolved and the new writs issued in a few days at farthest .