Four o'clock
`` With all my heart , '' said Mr Nearthewinde . `` That would n't have any effect on their votes . '' But , in truth , it mattered very little whether Mr Moffat spoke , or whether he did n't speak . Four o'clock was the hour for closing the poll , and that was now fast coming . Tremendous exertions had been made about half-past three , by a safe emissary sent from Nearthewinde , to prove to Mr Reddypalm that all manner of contingent advantages would accrue to the Brown Bear if it should turn out that Mr Moffat should take his seat for Barchester . No bribe was , of course , offered or even hinted at . The purity of Barchester was not contaminated during the day by one such curse as this .