four o'clock
in the afternoon
Beauchamp had the show of hands , and to say with Captain Baskelett , that they were a dirty majority , was beneath Mr. Tuckham 's verbal antagonism . He fell into a studious reserve , noting everything , listening to everybody , greatly to Colonel Halkett 's admiration of one by nature a talker and a thunderer . The show of hands Mr. Seymour Austin declared to be the most delusive of electoral auspices ; and it proved so . A little later than four o'clock in the afternoon of the election-day , Cecilia received a message from her father telling her that both of the Liberals were headed ; ` Beauchamp nowhere . ' Mrs. Grancey Lespel was the next herald of Beauchamp 's defeat . She merely stated the fact that she had met the colonel and Mr. Blackburn Tuckham driving on the outskirts of the town , and had promised to bring Cecilia the final numbers of the poll . Without naming them , she unrolled the greater business in her mind .