twelve o'clock
Now the Marquis never sat as a magistrate at the Heytesbury bench , and had not been present on any of the occasions on which Sam had been examined ; nor had Mr. Gilmore seen the Marquis since the murder , -- nor , for the matter of that , for the last twelve months . Mr. Gilmore had just finished breakfast when the news was brought to him , and he thought he might as well walk down and see Fenwick first . His interview with the parson ended in a promise that he , Fenwick , would also look in at the farm . At twelve o'clock the Marquis was seated in the old farmer 's arm-chair , in the old farmer 's parlour . The house was dark and gloomy , never having been altogether opened since the murder . With the Marquis was Packer , who was standing , and the Marquis was pretending to cast his eye over one or two books which had been brought to him . He had been taken all over the house ; had stood looking at the bed where the old man lay when he was attacked , as though he might possibly discover , if he looked long enough , something that would reveal the truth ; had gazed awe-struck at the spot on which the body had been found , and had taken occasion to remark to himself that the house was a good deal out of order .