ten minutes
past twelve
We retired to consider , at seven minutes before ten at night . The idiotic vestryman and his two parochial parasites gave us so much trouble that we twice returned into Court to beg to have certain extracts from the Judge 's notes re-read . Nine of us had not the smallest doubt about those passages , neither , I believe , had any one in the Court ; the dunder-headed triumvirate , having no idea but obstruction , disputed them for that very reason . At length we prevailed , and finally the Jury returned into Court at ten minutes past twelve . The murdered man at that time stood directly opposite the Jury-box , on the other side of the Court . As I took my place , his eyes rested on me with great attention ; he seemed satisfied , and slowly shook a great gray veil , which he carried on his arm for the first time , over his head and whole form . As I gave in our verdict , `` Guilty , '' the veil collapsed , all was gone , and his place was empty .