Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

oe 6 er ee ee eee TS Se ey JOSEPH WILMOT; ON, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. 91 ‘Miss Dakin deferentially inquired in a low voice if she should begin: whereupon Mr. Tiverton and Lady Georgiana both slightly inclined their heads in solemn assent; and the toady accordingly com- menced reading the prayers in a voice which she endeavoured to render as intensely miserable as | she possibly could. I glanced along the array of my fellow-servants, and noticed that they all wore a similarly lugubrious aspect,—John Robert es- pecially looking awfully unhappy, and the cook pursing up her mouth as if she had a deep sense of self-mortification for no end of sins and wicked- nesses which she had committed. At the termi- nation of the first prayer, I was literally startled by the cavern-like gloom and sepulehral depth of tone with which John Robert groaned forth * Amen !”—for I found that it was a portion of his duties to enact the clerk. The service lasted for precisely twenty minutes; at the expiration of which every one—master, mistress, the toady, and the servants—all buried their faces in their hands for three minutes more—an example which I of course imitated. The signal to desist from this dumb show was a low half-stifled sound, be- tween a groan and a grunt, on the part of John Robert: then we all rose, and solemnly marched forth from the parlour,—descending with the due regularity of a procession into the servants’ room again. Two or three minutes afterwards the clock in the kitchen struck ten; and then, “as if everything were managed with the precision of that same clock-work which was in motion at the time, each of the domestics took a candle—lighted it—and with a solemn “Good night” to each other, began moving up-stairs. The housemaid showed me to my chamber, where I found my trunk; and ere she closed the door, she said in a low voice, “ You are only allowed five minutes to get to bed; and whether in bed or not, the light must be put out. That piece which you have got,” she added, pointing to the little end of candle which was burning in the socket of the stick, “will have to last you a whole week.” She then closed the door; and I found myself alone in a small attic just unq@r the tiles,—sor- didly furnished, and not particularly clean. I by no means liked the aspect of my new place: but I was still too low-spirited to devote much thought to the little cireumstances which had already created this dislike. Being much fatigued, I was in bed before the prescribed five minutes had elapsed—and the light was out. But searcely had I extinguished it, when I heard footsteps passing slowly along the corridor whence the servants’ attics opened: then suddenly there was a loud and authoritative knock at one ot those doors—and Mr. Tiverton’s voice exclaimed, “John Robert, your light is not out—and the five minutes have passed by at least three-quarters of a minute by my watch.” The steps advanced again, stopping for a mo- ment at every door, until they halted at mine,— whence however Mr. Tiverton departed, no doubt satisfied, by the simple process of peeping through the key-hole, that I was in strict accordance with the rules of the house. I soon fell asleep, not- withstanding my “orrowful reflections—for I was exhausted alike in mind and body; and I have no dovbt I should have slept on until a late hour in the morning, had I not been suddenly startled by hearing a large bell clanging as if it were just over my head. I subsequently ascertained that it was on the house-top—but literally over my head; for it was perched upon the tilings just above my attic. “Ten minutes to wash and dress!’ spoke the deep lugubrious voice of John Robert, as he knocked at my door. | I sprang out of bed; and not having as yet had my livery given out, resumed my own plain clothes. But I found it somewhat difficult to per- form my ablutions and toilet within so limited a space of time,—having been accustomed at Charlton Hall, as well as at Mr. Delmay’s, to take as long an interval as ITrequired. On descending to the servants’ room down stairs, I was told by John Robert that I was just three minutes over my time —that as I was under him, he was answerable. to his master and mistress for my proceedings—and that I must be more regular in future. At eight o'clock punctually, we all marshalled ourselves again —ascended to the parlour—and heard prayers read by Miss Dakin; these lasted twenty minutes as on the previous evening, and Joha Robert again officiated as clerk. On descending to our own region azain, breakfast was served up, —this consisting of very weak tea and bread-and- butter cut enormously thick. There was no sugar, —the cook informing me that only a certain quan- tity was allowed by Lady Georgiana—that it was given out every Monday morning—that it could not possibly be made to last beyond Thursday evening—and that consequently there were always three days every week during which the servants had to dispense with the article entirely, There was not so much as a bone of cold meat allowed even to the footman; and again I could not help contrasting all this direful meanness and. studied sordidness with the well-spread breakfast-table in the servants’ apartment at Charlton Hall. I felt sure that if it ever happened that Mr. Thomas Austin were in possession at Myrtle Lodge, he would be starved out—his clasp-knife would be rusted—and he would pine away with coerced temperance. At about noon I was sent for up into the par- lour, where I found the tailor with his measure in his hand, and who had evidently come about. the livery. Two suits which had been worn by the page who preceded me, were lying on a chair; and Mr. Tiverton told me to take one suit up to my chamber and put it on. While turning over the garments, I found that both suits were so well worn that I really could not tell which was the every-day one and which was intended for Sunday : whereupon Mr. Tiverton himself, putting on a pair of spectacles, assisted me to discriminate between the two—and a very nice sense of discrimination he must have had to be enabled to do it. He gave me the every-day suit: and hastening up- stairs, I proeeeded to put it on—or, I should rather say, to work myself inte it; for it was very evident that my predecessor must have been at least half a foot shorter than myself, and of mar- vellous leanness, though I was at the time of suf- ficiently slender shape. In short—and it was “ short” —the suit did not fit me at all; and I was really ashamed to descend in those garments,—the cuffs of the jacket not reaching near down to the wrists, the trousers only so far as the middle of CoOmicoaoolks (c@) im