About a quarter before four
I fear that he had been put up to this business by Mr. Quintus Slide , and that he made himself nasty . There was , however , so much nastiness of the kind going , that his little effort made no great difference . The conservative members of the Committee , on whose side of the House the inquiry had originated , did not scruple to lay all manner of charges to officers whom , were they themselves in power , they would be bound to support and would support with all their energies . About a quarter before four the members of the Committee had dismissed their last witness for the day , being desirous of not losing their chance of seats on so important an occasion , and hurried down into the lobby , -- so that they might enter the House before prayers . Phineas here was button-holed by Barrington Erle , who said something to him as to the approaching division . They were standing in front of the door of the House , almost in the middle of the lobby , with a crowd of members around them , -- on a spot which , as frequenters know , is hallowed ground , and must not be trodden by strangers . He was in the act of answering Erle , when he was touched on the arm , and on turning round , saw Mr. Clarkson .