Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 124: what you’re looking at

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JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. . Ly the wildly joyous feelings which this announce- ment raised up within me; “you know not what happiness you have infused into my soul!’—and eatching her hand, I pressed it in grateful fervour to my lips. “Well, well, Joseph,” she said, herself deeply moved; “get your breakfast, there’s a dear good lad—make yourself easy—but do not question me any more now. As yet I have said nothing to a soul—Lady Calanthe excepted—of what I know and what I can prove. It shall fall like the blow of a sledge-hammer upon the guilty person! Don’t question me, I say,” she added, perceiving that I was burning with suspense and curiosity. “ You can guess who the person is that will be exposed ; but you have yet to learn under what circumstances I am enabled to effect the exposure. Restrain your curiosity: suffice it for you to know that your innocence shall be proved, and that within the hour which is passing! Get your breakfast, then—dress yourself—and come down. I must leave you now.” She was turning away; but suddenly recollect- ing something, she accosted me again, observing with a kind and contrite expression of counte- nance, “ Tell me, Joseph, that you forgive me for haying treated you as I did yesterday morning ? When you come to learn the circumstances ia “Forgive you, Charlotte?’ I interrupted her. “Rest assured that I did not bear you any ill- will: for I knew that you were labouring under some grievous error, which would be cleared up when an opportunity for calm and deliberate ex- planations should present itself.” “You are a generous youth, Joseph,” responded Charlotte, proffering me her hand: and she then hurried from the room. As the reader may suppose, I was now in a very different frame of mind from that which recent cir- cumstances had so painfully excited: but when, haying disposed of my breakfast, I rose to com- merice my toilet, I felt every limb so. stiff that I could scarcely drag myself along. Now, Char- lotte Murray seemed really to have anticipated all my wants and everything that could do me good; and with all her apparent giddiness, she thus proved herself in reality an excellent creature—thoughtful and considerate when the exercise of such qualities became needful. For John Robert knocked at the door of my chamber ; and when I answered the summons, he said, “ Put on this dressing-gown, Joseph, and foller me to the bath-room. Charlotte says as how a hot-bath would do you good; and she has superintended it all herself. So come along.” He brought me an old dressing-gown of his own, which I hastened to slip on; and without another word, he conducted me to the bath-room, where I enjoyed the luxury of an immersion in warm water. I issued thence with far more com- fortable sensations: the improvement effected in me was truly surprising. Hastening back to my own chamber, I dressed myself without delay ; and was descending the stairs to’ the domestics’ room, when I met Lady Calanthe Dundas on the first- floor landing. “Ah, Joseph!” she said, speaking most kindly and with a sweet smile; “ I was at the very instant thinking of you. From the first I had my mis- givings as to the validity of the shocking accusa- tion charged against you; and I do not hesitate to declare that it has afforded me the utmost satis- faction to have been made aware of your innocence. You have suffered much, poor youth far, far more than you ought to have suffered indeed, you ought not to have suffered at all; although really under the circumstances, I do not know that my sister and Mr. Tiverton could have adopted any other course. However, you are innocent; and this innocence shall now be made known. Go and tell Charlotte to accompany you up to the drawing-room.” With tears running down my cheeks, I began to pour forth the expressions of my gratitude for Lady Calanthe’s kind conduct: but she retreated quickly into the drawing-room—and I hastened down stairs to deliver her message to Charlotte. “Come then, Joseph,” said the young woman, who now treated me with a sort of sisterly kind- ness, as if she endeavoured to atone as much as possible for her glacial reserve and her vague but strong accusations of the preceding day: “let us go up-stairs together.” She took my hand, just in that encouraging way which an elder sister would adopt towards a brother several years younger than herself; and we ascended to the drawing-room. Mr. Tiverton and Lady Georgiana were seated in their usual starch, stiff manner: Miss Dakin occupied her wonted place near her patroness: Lady Calanthe Dundas was half-reclining upon the sofa. But the instant we made our appearance, Lady Calanthe sat com- pletely up ; and with an air of dignity beyond her years, but which admirably became the style of her beauty, she said, “I have already hinted, Mr. Tiverton, that I had desired Charlotte and Joseph to come into your presence together for a certain purpose.” “Which purpose, Calanthe,” said her brother in-law gravely, “ I presume will now be explained ?” “Do not think, Mr. Tiverton—nor you either, my dear sister,” continued the beautiful young lady, “that I seek to arrogate to myself an autho- rity in this house which is unbecoming the position of a guest: but circumstances have induced me to assume this prominent part on the present occasion. There are certain little explanations to be given ; and inasmuch as Joseph Wilmot was yesterday accused of a very serious act in the presence of all his fellow-servants, I beg and entreat that those same servants may now be summoned to witness the issue of the affair.” “ But, my dear Calanthe,” said Lady Georgiana, looking much bewildered—as did also her husband, “Tam at a loss to conceive what. new complexion can be possibly given to the transactions of the plate and the ring. Yes—I am indeed at a loss. Miss Dakin, are you not at a loss ?” “Perfectly at a loss,” replied the toady: but yet methought there was something like the glitter of uneasiness in her eyes. “ My dear sister,” said Lady Calanthe, speaking very seriously, “I can assure you that there és another complexion to be put upon the whole transaction ; and it will be a cruel injustice to- vrards this youth to delay the explanations a mo- ment longer than is necessary.” “Then, in that case, let the servants be sum- moned,” exclaimed Mr. Tiverton. “ Go you, Joseph—and order them hither.” | (Cc) im CoOmicaoolks