six o'clock
For form 's sake -- scarcely for more -- a man kept watch over the valley road , and signalled by the flashing of a lamp twice every party with which he was acquainted , and there were no others than these to signal . A second man waited by the gate into the court to admit them . They rode and walked in from all round -- great gentlemen , such as the North Lees family , came with a small retinue ; a few came alone ; yeomen and farm servants , with their women-folk , from the Hathersage valley , came for the most part on foot . Altogether perhaps a hundred and twenty persons were within Padley Manor -- and the gate secured -- by six o'clock . Meanwhile , within , the priest had been busy since half-past four with the hearing of confessions . He sat in the chapel beside the undecked altar , and they came to him one by one . The household and a few of the nearer neighbours had done their duty in this matter the day before , and a good number had already made their Easter duties earlier in Lent ; so by six o'clock all was finished .