nine o'clock
He was certainly a very able musician , and , being so universally liked , many people urged that a public performance be dispensed with , and that he be elected at once . But although Baptiste Lacombe was not _ liked _ , his _ skill _ found many admirers ; and , besides , it was flattering to the worthy countryfolk to think of sitting solemnly in judgment at the great church ; and so the proposed plan was adhered to . -LSB- Illustration : MONSIEUR LACOMBE AND THE ORGAN . -RSB- Finally , the weeks of anticipation came to an end , the appointed day was at hand , and , according to the arrangements previously made , at nine o'clock in the forenoon the three great doors of the church were swung open , and the throng , orderly and even dignified , entered and filled the edifice . The seats , which in French churches and cathedrals are movable , had all been taken away , and the crowd quite filled the whole space . All male inhabitants of the town who were over twenty years of age were to vote , and each , the town officials and the poorest artisans alike , had one ballot . The great and beautiful organ took up nearly the whole of the large gallery over the entrance , and extended up and up into the clear-story until it was mingled with the supports of the roof .