Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

. —— eee a a i ET ET lS = SS nL 90 JOSEPH WILMOT ; For several minutes I was so overcome with grief, that I forgot my own present circumstances —forgot that 1 was on my way to enter upon a new situation: but at length I grew comparatively calm, and continued my route. During the rest of the walk, the image of Annabel absorbed all my reflections; and it was in a kind of mechanical manner that I stopped at the gate leading into the grounds attached to Myrtle Lodge. I knocked at the door of that miserable-looking hut which stood near the gate; and it was opened by a thin emaciated female, who seemed half-starved. A boorish-looking man, in the smock-frock and lea- ther gaiters of a farm-labourer, was smoking his pipe by the side of the fire—if an ounce of fuel, with scarcely enough heat to boil as much water as an egg-saucepan would contain, deserved to be so denominated. I asked if the carrier had left my trunk ?—the woman replied in the affirmative; and the man said he had just come back from taking it up to the Lodge,—-adding'a hint that he thought the task was worth something to drink. I accordingly gave him sixpence, which hiswwife im- mediately pounced upon,—vowing in a querulous voice that it should mot go to ‘the: ale-house, but should be put into the smoney-box. Neither of them asked me’ in’ to sit down ;.and‘as I continued my way towards the Lodge, I could not help thinking that everybody I hadassyetseen in con- nexion with my new place "was thinsand scraggy, and either had a hungry orsa half-starved look. I was however too unhappy on Amnabel’s account to ponder many moments upon ‘these ‘things: but continued my “way, thinkme of that fair being until I reached the house. Passing round to the back of ‘the premises, I rang the bell at theservants* entrance ; and it was answered by the glum-looking mansseryant' whom I had «seen ‘carrymg the poodles, «and “whose Christian mames were John Robert. He gave a sort of grunt on beholdimg me ;..andeas I took this to be his: peculiar mode of bestowing a:greeting, I addressed him ‘very ‘civilly im “return. He how- ever said not.another word—but led the way mito the servants’ room, which was separated by a narrow passage from'the kitchen. ‘There I found those whom I had ‘mow ‘to consider amy | fellow- domestics. These consisted of the cook, the lady’s- maid, and a housemaid,—so that, including John Robert and myself, the domestic establishment was limited to five persons—tlittle enough, I thought, for so large a mansion! But I was completely taken by surprise,—and the reader himself may smile when I inform him,—that the cook and the ‘housemaid were as lean and scragey as John Robert and the lady’s-maid, both of whom T had previously seen. I never saw such a meagre skele- ton of a cook in my life; and thouch all the victuals “might pass through her hands, it appeared to me as if she could certainly have very little discretionary power as to the disposal of them. ‘The servants “were seated at supper when I entered; and the greeting I received, consisted of a few cold brief words from each. Qn the table there was a piece of cheese, or rather the crust of one—a very small ~modicum of brexd—some' brown mugs—and a tin ‘ean of “beer, which turned out +o be particularly small mdeed. This was in reality a frugal repast, “and ‘one ‘to which the strictest anchorite might OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. of being seduced into intemperance either in eating or drinking. The cook desired me to take a chair and have my supper. Fortunately the incident which oc- curred during my walk, in respect to the Baronet’s travelling-carriage, had taken away my appetite : otherwise the walk itself would perhaps have sharpened it beyond a relish for the sorry fare which stood before me, and which contrasted un- pleasantly enough with the suppers of cold joints and meat-pies to which I was wont to sit down at Charlton Hall. Iwas however thirsty; but haying taken a mouthful of the beer, I found it so ex- ceedingly sour that I requested permission to drink water. Tittle conversation took ‘place amongst the servants: and if they did mot exhibit any cheer- ‘fulness or gaiety, they were equally deficient in curiosity,—the questions they put to me, being very few in number. ‘There «seemed to be a generally pervasive mournfulmess amongst them, as.if they were »all wnder the influence of a dull vague terror: theyspoke in ‘subdued voices—they appeared like persons*who, being eowed and spirit- broken, entertained “a ‘common ‘sense of degrada- tion and oppression ‘beneath the ironsrule of a stern disciplme. ‘I mmyselfowas m wretched bad spirits on account of the meident during my walk thither ; and‘the cold loom of the scene in the midst of which I now found myself was but little calculated to:raise. me up ‘from idespendeney. But it seemed so matural to my fellow-servants in my new place that I should be ‘thas dull andmelan- choly, thatmot ‘one of them thought of ma@uiring the reason, Precisely at half-pastmine the parlour-bell rang —the«servants:all-stood wp—and a procession was formed, the lady’semaid leadimge the way,'the cook followimg, ‘the ‘footman ‘coming mext, ‘then the ‘housemaid—and |I was | bidden to “close ‘the rear. I could not possibly make out what thisowas for : no explanation was volunteered: perfect ‘silence rejoned amongst the servants: and the procession moved slowly along, just as if we were mourners ata funeral. Weascended the stairs—-we entered ‘the »parlour with the regularity and order of a disciplined squad of soldiers; and im ‘the same ‘formal array we took seats at the extremity of the room where the door was situated. I had noticed down stairs in the servants’ iapartment, that there was no fire although the October evening was cold—and that there was but a single miserable tallow candle that did not burn much better than a rushlight. I now ob- served that things were but little more cheerful in the parlour. There was no fire in the grate; and though two mould candles stood on the table, only one was lighted. Could all this be through the mean stinginess of the mastcr.and mistress of the house P was the question I asked myself; and I certainly could not account for it in any other way. The spacious parlour was wrapped in a sombre gloom; and.in the midst of the. semi- obscurity I observed Mr. Tiverton sitting on one side of the table—Lady Georgiana, starch, stiff, and prim, on the other—and ‘Miss Dakin at the ‘upper end, with a couple of books before her. I ‘now therefore comprehended wherefore’ the domese tics had been ‘thus solemnly marshalled : it wags have sat‘down without the slightest apprehension ! for family prayers. _————e -_—-—-—- - — en we rs ee oe = oe = ee cee rm eee ee es se te ee eee EP ee oe == CORNICLOOC im