one o'clock sharp
They obeyed , and found a man standing with a pen in his mouth at a desk , searching through a file of papers . He went on with his work till he found what he wanted , apparently quite unconscious of the boys ' presence . Then he rang a bell for an overseer , whistled down a tube for a clerk , and shouted out of the door for a messenger , and gave orders to each . Then he sent for some one else , and gave him a scolding that made the unlucky recipient 's hair stand on end ; then he received a visit from a friend , with whom he chatted and joked for a pleasant quarter of an hour ; then he took up the morning paper and skimmed through it , whistling to himself as he did so ; then he rang another bell and told the errand-boy who answered it to bring him in at one o'clock sharp a large boiled beef underdone , with carrots and turnips , and a pint of `` s. and b. '' -LRB- whatever that might mean -RRB- . Then he suddenly became aware of the fact that he had visitors , and turned inquiringly to the two boys . `` Mr Richmond -- '' began Horace , in answer to his look . But the manager cut him short .