twelve o'clock precisely
The next week further indications of a coming change manifested themselves . A printer came to the office with a bill for approval , worded as follows : -- `` Great Clearance Sale ! The entire valuable and miscellaneous unredeemed stock of a pawnbroker will be sold by auction at the Central Mart , on Monday next , by Mr Hammer . Sale to commence at twelve o'clock precisely . Catalogues will be ready on Saturday , and may be had on application . '' Thus I , and one or two of my neighbours on the shelf , read as we peeped through the crack at the printer 's proof-sheet . '' ` Entire valuable and miscellaneous unredeemed stock ! '