three o’clock
Priscilla was staying that night with her mother . Mr. Broad 's house , at the end of the town , was very quiet , and George did not care to leave her alone with the servant . Those were the days when the state of the poll was published every hour , and as Cowfold lay near the centre of the county a very fair opinion could be formed of the progress of the voting . By three o'clock it was known that up to eleven parties were neck and neck , and the excitement grew more and more intense . Every public-house in Cowfold was free , and soon after dinner-time there was not a single person in the place who was ever drunk before who had not found it necessary to get drunk then in order to support the strain on his nerves . Four o'clock came , and the polling-booth was shut ; the numbers were made up , and the two committees now anxiously awaited the news from the outlying districts . The general impression seemed to be that the popular candidate would win by about a dozen , and by eight o'clock a crowd had assembled before the `` Cross Keys '' to give due welcome to the desired announcement .