A few minutes before nine o'clock
It was , in a word , a DEED OF CONFIRMATION by OLD DREDDLINGTON , the father of Harry Dreddlington , of the conveyance by the latter to Geoffrey Dreddlington , who , in the manner already mentioned to the reader , had got an assignment of that conveyance to himself . After the Attorney-General had satisfied himself as to the account to be given of the deed -- the custody whence it came , namely , the attorney for the defendant ; Mr. Parkinson undertaking to swear , without any hesitation , that whatever deeds of Mr. Aubrey 's he possessed , he had taken from the muniment room at Yatton -- the second consultation broke up . Mr. Aubrey , on hearing the nature and effect of the instrument explained by the Attorney-General and Mr. Mansfield -- all his counsel , in short , concurring in opinion as to the triumphant effect which this instrument would produce on the morrow -- may be pardoned for regarding it , in the excitement of the moment , as almost a direct interference of Providence . A few minutes before nine o'clock on the ensuing morning , the occasional shrill blasts of the trumpets announced that the judges were on their way to the Castle , the approaches to which were crowded with carriages and pedestrians of a highly respectable appearance . As the Castle clock finished striking nine , Lord Widdrington , in a short wig and plain black silk gown , -LSB- 31 -RSB- took his seat , and the swearing of the special jury commenced . The court was crowded almost to suffocation ; all the chief places being filled with persons of distinction in the county . The benches on each side of the judge were occupied by ladies , who -- especially the Countess of Oldacre and Lady De la Zouch -- evinced a painful degree of anxiety and excitement in their countenances and demeanor .