Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

er ———— 126 . JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT, forbid me from hoping. Now, sister, you under- stand my feelings. down that of your husband, on Joseph’s head, Remember, he saved our lives Yes, he, a mere youth, dared do what a strong man candidly con- fessed he should not have ventured to undertake. And moreover, I call heaven to witness that it was I who first made avowals to Joseph—and that never of his own accord would he have approached 1?? me in that sense “ Calanthe,” said Lady Georgiana, now recover- ing sufficient control over her feclings as to speak with a certain degree of calmness, “ whatever re- monstrances or representations I may have to make, shall be spoken elsewhere.” “That is as I could wish, sister,” responded Calanthe. “ And another thing,’ added Lady Georgiana, it will be Joseph’s own fault if what has now taken place, beeomes the subject of gossiping scandal at the Lodge.” * Joseph is incapable of mentioning my name lightly!” exclaimed Lady Calanthe, who appeared triumphantly elate at being thus enabled to act as my vindicator. ‘We must part now,’ she added, bending her looks upon me,—those looks which suddenly melted into touching and tender sweetness: and as I turned rapidly away, she ap- peared to shed upon me the dimness of a parting smile. I retraced my steps to Myrtle Lodge in a state of mind which is searcely within the power of de- scription. I thought not of what might happen to myself. That I should probably be discharged summarily, and perhaps characterless, entered not at the moment into my meditations—or if it did, lingered not there. All my ideas were absorbed in feelings of mingled admiration and compassion for that noble-hearted and magnanimous young lady, who had so suddenly emerged from the feminine weakness of desponding love, into a true womanly fortitude in the moment of emergency. But what had I heard ?—that for my sake she would now have to endure the anger of parents— the taunts and scorn of brothers and sisters,—and that all these she would encounter if not cheerfully, at least resignedly—still cherishing love, and still clinging to hope. Ah! and now the opportunity for disabusing her of her error was past: the wished-for occasion had gone by for revealing to her the truth that my heart was another’s ;—and she, unhappy girl, believed that it was her own! Oh, what was I todo? Could I write to her, and thus by a single stroke of the pen destroy her only source of consolation P could I all in a moment rob her of the only means which she had to strengthen and solace herself when about to enter on the ordeal of parental indignation and fraternal contumely ? No, no—it was impossible !—it would be acruelty which, even if necessary, I had not the _ moral courage to perpetrate. I entered the Lodge; and fortunately found no one at the moment in the servants’ room,—where my dinner, consisting of cold meat, had been left out for me. I had no appetite to touch a morsel : but I was glad at being thus left to myself, inas- much as I had leisure to compose my feelings—or at least to study how to cast a veil over them, by the time I again met Charlotte and my. fellow- The only favour I do entreat is that you will not visit your own anger, nor call servants. 1 bustled, with more than my wonted activity, about the work Which I had to do, so as to avoid conversation: but all the while I was in a state of nervous excitement, which I felt that the most trivial incident would inevitably betray. An hour elapsed ere Lady Georgiana and Calanthe returned to the Lodge; so that I supposed they had a lengthened—perhaps serious, perhaps stormy discourse together, after I left them. That the female figure we had seen in the distance, when — a ee ane we were standing at the stile, was Lady Georgiana’ Tiverton, there could now be little doubt: that she perhaps had some reason, either of curiosity or suspicion, to follow Calanthe, who had devised a pretext for going out alone, was likewise easy to be conjectured ;—and that the cunning woman had watched from some secluded spot, while Calanthe proceeded in one direction and I in another after we parted at the stile, was but an additional link in this natural chain of surmises. Moreover, the topographical features of the neighbourhood enabled Lady Georgiana to steal behind that wall where our second meeting was held—and thus to listen to at least some portion, if she were not in time to catch the whole of the grief-broken speeches in which Calanthe had addressed me. They returned, I say, to the Lodge; and while Lady Calanthe ascended to her own chamber, Lady Georgiana rejoined Mr. Tiverton in the parlour. About half-an-hour afterwards, the bell rang. I got for the moment purposely out of the way; and so John Robert answered the summons, When I returned to the pantry, where I was oc- cupied, a few minutes afterwards, John Robert told me that I was wanted in the parlour: but he did not make the announcement as if he had an idea that anything extraordinary had occurred, or that there was anything wrong. I must confess that I now felt rather nervous as I ascended to the parlour: I expected to be overwhelmed with re- proaches for what might be considered my pre- sumption and arrogance in aspiring to the hand of Lady Calanthe; and I wished that I could arm myself with some of that young lady’s fortitude: —hbut this in the same degree I could not muster tomy aid. As I opened the door, I perceived Mr. Tiverton standing, with his hands in his pockets, before the fire—while Lady Georgiana was seated —prim, cold, and demure, as was her wont—at the table. * Joseph,” said my master, in a voice that was glacial and severe, “sudden business calls me to Exeter; and you must accompany me. I have some errands for you to dothere. Get yourself in immediate readiness.” He said no more: Lady Georgiana spoke not a word. I hastened up to my chamber, and put on my best livery. What could be my master’s in- tention P—was he adopting this means of quietly removing me from the Lodge? TI felt assured that such was the case ; and with this anticipation, I lingered a few minutes to put all my things into my box, so that it should be in readiness to be sent after me. As I descended the stairs, my heart palpitated violently : for methought that Lady Calanthe might possibly be on the watch to catch sight of me, and that she would issue forth from her chamber. Nor was I mistaken. The door opened: and she abruptly made her appearance, Her —E ne ~_— Soo cS Doo (E(0) im