Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

112 T hastened down stairs again ; and as I delivered the message, my fellow-servants could not help no- ticing the animation of my countenance, which doubtless seemed to them to be very different from the look of a guilty person about to be ignomini- ously dismissed from his situation in the presence of the entire household. It was with an unusual alacrity that they therefore followed me up to the drawing-room,—John Robert giving two or three grunts as indications of the curiosity which he ex- perienced to behold the issue of the affair. Ina few minutes we were all marshalled in the drawing- room; and then Lady Calanthe, who had taken it upon herself to regulate the mode of procedure, said to me, “ You will now, Joseph, recite to Mr. Tiverton and Lady Georgiana those explanations which you gave to Charlotte just now, relative to a certain person.” I glanced towards Miss Dakin, and saw that she was excessively pale. She was always pale naturally: but her countenance was now of a dead white, perfectly ghastly: and it was but too evi- dent that she was in that dreadful frame of mind when it would have been a mercy if the earth had opened suddenly to swallow her up. ©T am sorry,” I began, at once understanding to which explanations and to what person Lady Calanthe had alluded,—“*I am sorry to have to perform the part of an accuser: but in self- vindication it is necessary. A certain individual present conceived an aversion towards me for reasons which had perhaps be better left to the imagination of those who now hear me; and she threatened me with her bitterest hatred. That in- dividual is Miss Dakin.” “ Joseph, you vile, wicked boy!’ eried the toady, springing up to her feet: but almost in- stantaneously sinking back into her chair, she gave a shriek, exclaiming, “I shall go off! I shall go off !’—no doubt meaning into hysterics. * Miss Dakin,” said Mr. Tiverton, speaking sternly, as if he now perfectly well saw that some serious turn was indeed to be given to previous transactions,—“ I must request that you compose yourself. Joseph Wilmot has made a charge which, unless backed by collateral evidence, must of course be rejected as a villanous attempt to throw a slur upon your character.” “Yes—it is villanous!” shrieked forth Miss Dakin. “Lady Georgiana knows me too well to believe it.’’ “T certainly am taken much by surprise,” said my mistress. “Do you mean in plain terms, Joseph Wilmot, that Miss Dakin 1 “T mean, your ladyship,” I said, perceiving the necessity of speaking out plainly and boldly, “ that Miss Dakin made certain overtures to me when I had scarcely been a month in your service; and that the other night she told me that she could have loved me madly, but that she now hated me as much, and that she would wreak her vengeance upon me.” “Ts false ! ’tis false !’” screamed forth the toady. “ Let me get at him—I will tear his eyes out and she was rushing towards me, when Charlotte, stepping forward, confronted the infuriate Miss Dakin,— exclaiming, “It is true—it is true—I am convinced of it!’ “You?—a menial!” said the toady, suddenly stopping short and tossing her head indignantly, 1s 1?) e es i Tm JOSEPH WILMOT;$ OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. while she quivered all the time with mingled rage, spite, and terror. “Know your place—and keep 1 bi “There is in this world,” answered Charlotte, with admirable coolness, “no one so humble but that he or she may perform an act of justice, if accident should furnish the opportunity: and that is exactly my position now. At all events, Miss Dakin, you can but sit down and listen to me: you will have the right to reply.” “'Yes—let Charlotte Murray be heard,” said Mr. Tiverton: and he signalled peremptorily for Miss Dakin to resume her chair—a command which she obeyed with the air of a person who felt her condition to be almost desperate, yet nevertheless was bewildered as to what new evi- dence was to be brought forward against her. “The explanations I have to give,” said Char- lotte, “ are few. But first of all, I will ask Joseph Wilmot whether yesterday morning I did not take an opportunity to tell him privately that he was a wicked, unprincipled, and depraved young man —and that I was sorry circumstances compelled me to remain beneath the same roof with him- self ?”’ “Those accusations were made against me,” I said; “and they were quite bewildering. I com- prehended them not.” “No: since circumstances have led me to reflect well what your demeanour was on the occasion,” continued Charlotte, “I have felt assured that you must have been bewildered. You sought ex- planations—I would not give them; and imme- diately afterwards I proceeded to Exeter. Your fellow-servants could not have failed to observe — how cool and distant I was to you at the breakfast- table yesterday morning.” The lady’s-maid, the cook, the housemaid, and John Robert, all corroborated Charlotte’s state- ment; and while curiosity was keenly piqued, she continued as follows :— “The night before last, I did not sleep very well, in consequence of something which [I ate at the pastrycook’s at Exeter, when there with Joseph Wilmot. Soon after midnight I awoke from a feverish slumber, and could not close my eyes again. AsI lay tossing uneasily about, methought I heard the creaking of the boards in the passage, as if with the footsteps of some one stealthily moving along. I listened, conceiving it to be mere imagination on my part: but in a few moments, distinctly hearing the rustling of a dress, as it swept the wall near my door, I felt somewhat alarmed. I got up, and very gently opening the door, peeped out. Though last night was dark as pitch, the one before (of which I am speaking) was clear with the starlight; and as the beams shone through the window in the passage, I distinctly perceived a female form, which I had not the slightest difficulty in recognizing. This female passed stealthily and cautiously into Joseph Wilmot’s room. Iwas so shocked that I knew not how to act: but closing my bedroom-door, lay down to rest again. I did not hear when that stealthy night-walker retraced her way; and there- fore I naturally put the very worst construction on the proceeding,—though from all that has since transpired, it is more than probable—nay, it is certain, that she did not remain there many mo- ments—no longer than was sufficient for her to et ese ee ne a 00) S (CO) im