ten o'clock
As they entered , Miss Rounsell , seated at the piano at the far end of the platform , struck the opening chords of `` God Save the King . '' It seemed to take the audience by surprise : but they shuffled to their feet and , after a few bars , sang the anthem very creditably . When they had settled themselves , Farmer Best opened the meeting . `` Ladies and Gentlemen , Naybours all , '' he said , -- `` I do n't suppose these here proceedin 's will conclude much afore ten o'clock : after which it 'll take me the best part of an hour to get home ; an ' what with one thing and another I doubt it 'll be far short o ' midnight afore my missus gets me to bed . Whereby , knowin ' my habits , you 'll see that I reckon this to be summat more than an ord ` nary occasion : the reason bein ' , as you know , that pretty well the hull of Europe 's in a state o ' War : which , when such a thing happens , it behoves us . I 'll say no more than that , as Britons , it behoves us . It was once said by a competent observer that Britons never , never -- if Miss Rounsell will oblige ? ''