about three o’clock in the afternoon
A dread silence was preserved by Sir Robert Percy and by Mr. Solicitor Sharpe . They must have some deep design : what it could be , remained to be discovered even till the day of trial . The day of trial arrived -- Mr. Percy came up to town , and brought Mrs. Percy and Rosamond with him to his son Alfred 's , that they might all be together , and hear as soon as possible their fate . The trial came on about three o'clock in the afternoon . The court was uncommonly crowded . Mr. Percy , his son Erasmus , and all his friends , and Sir Robert and his adherents , appeared on opposite sides of the galleries . The excellent countenance and gentlemanlike demeanour of Mr. Percy were contrasted with the dark , inauspicious physiognomy of Sir Robert , who sat opposite to him , and who was never tranquil one second , but was continually throwing notes to his counsel , beckoning or whispering to his attorney -- while convulsive twitches of face and head , snuff-taking , and handkerchief spread frequently to conceal the expression of his countenance , betrayed the malignant flurry of his spirits .