Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

130 JOSEPH WILMOT 5 OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT., manner as before, “ Good—very good:” so that I really did entertain the hope of having somewhat interested the gentleman on my behalf. Nor was I mistaken: for when the coach drove into the yard of the hotel which was its destination, he said to me, as he alighted first, “ Don’t go away for a minute, my lad. See to your luggage, while I look after mine ; and keep in the way, as I want another word with you.” I thanked him, and obeyed his directions. The guard cried out the names of the passengers as he handed down the trunks, inspecting at the same time the card upon each; and when he called, “ Dr. Pomfret!” the comfortable-looking gentle- roan signalized himself as that individual. ‘““ Good—yvery good,” he observed as he saw his lugrage safe. “And now, my lad,” he resumed, turning again to me, “I suppose you have no par- ticular place where you wish to go—and that if you were to obtain a, situation at once, you are prepared to enter upon it P” I assured Dr. Pomfret that such was my earnest wish: whereupon he exclaimed, “ Good — very good! Step aside for a moment; and possibly we may come to an arrangement:’’—an announce- ment at which I felt considerably cheered. “ The fact is,” he continued, “I want just such a lad as you are. It’s strange—very strange—is it not? But so itis. Wages liberal—two suits of livery a year—plenty to eat and drimk—and not much work todo. I ama physician I may say,” he added, with an increased self-complaceney very much akin to arrant conceit, “ I am the physician of Salisbury; and the principal duty you will have to perform, is attending the front door to usher in the patients and going out with the carriage.” I expressed not merely my willingness to accept the situation, but also my gratitude for the proffer ; and the wages he named being really very liberal, the bargain was at once struck. He accordingly bade me follow him; and when he had given in- structions to the hotel-porter that my box was to be brought along to his house, together with his own, he led the way through several streets, until he at length stopped at a dwelling of handsome appearance in one of the principal thoroughfares. As we stood for a few moments at the front door, until the summons was answered by a man in a groom’s undress, I noticed that there was a large apothecary’s shop precisely opposite, with a lamp of coloured glass over the door; and upon this lamp, in gold letters, were the words—“ Mr. Saw- KINS, Surgeon.” Dr. Pomfret, seeing my eyes settle upon this establishment, as I was gazing about as one does in a strange place, said, ‘“‘ Good—very good! You are looking at Mr. Sawkins’sP A very clever man is Sawkins—a good surgeon—a good apothecary— a good accoucheur. A very nice man is Sawkins!” —then fixing his eyes upon me with a look of mys- terious confidence, he added in a lower tone, “I discovered his talent—and I made him what he 1s.” I thought it a proof of very intelligent shrewd- ness on the part of Dr. Pomfret thus to discover talent—and a proof of proportionate generosity to patronise it: and no doubt my looks expressed these sentiments; for the physician stroked his chin in a complacent and satisfied manner. We now entered the house ; and the doctor said, “ Well, a eee ers Philip—all well at home ? and the horse P” “ Both uncommon well, sir,’ was the groom’s reply: but I certainly thought it a somewhat strange economy of words to couple the lady and the horse in the same sentence, as if to avoid the supererogation of a separate query for each. “ Good—yery good,” said Dr. Pomfret, as he hung his hat up in the hall. ‘f And now, Philip, show this lad the way to the kitchen; he is in my service, and answers to the name of Joseph.” Philip stared first at me—then at his master— as if he thought there must be some mistake; and as he afterwards informed me—though per- haps it may savour of vanity on my part to repeat the compliment—he fancied I was a young gentle- man, and much too genteel to enter into service. Dr. Pomfret saw what was passing in his mind ; and smiling placidly, observed, “I think he will be no discredit to my establishment.” Qn being introduced to the kitchen, I found a very comfortable breakfast spread upon the table, and a very comfortable-looking cook doing the honours. An exceedingly stout man—nearly sixty —and looking so apoplectie that it was fortunate for him he was in a doctor’s service, and therefore could have prompt assistance in case of a sudden visitation of the kind—was doing ample justice to the cold meat; and as, I subsequently understood, he neyer drank “slops,’ he was washing it down with ale. This was the coachman. The groom, who bore the name of Philip, was a short, thin, dapper-made man; and the only fault I could find with him was, that he smelt uncommonly of the stables. A housemaid and two parlour-maids completed the domestic establishment. I wondered that there should be two parlour-maids—still more so when I subsequently heard that one was de- nominated the Family Parlour-maid, and the other the Private Parlour-maid: but the distinctions, and the separate services which they had to render, I learnt in due time, as will be hereafter explained. The domestics were all very kind and friendly in their manner towards me,—the old ecoachman especially giving it as his opinion, in a very. husky voice, “ that I was an uncommon likely lad to sit by his side on the box.” : Immediately after breakfast I was sent for into the parlour, to be measured for my liveries; and this time there was no trying on of old ones—no endeavour to convert impossibly-fitting garments into fresh use. The doctor had never before kept a page: the coachman had been wont to act also as footman and attend the front door;—but he was getting too corpulent for such a purpose—the physician’s practice was rapidly extending—and therefore it appeared that he had resolved to in- crease his domestic establishment by the addition of a page. I may here observe that Mrs. Pomfret was by no means in appearance such a lady as I had expected to see. I had pictured to myself a stout matronly dame, as comfortable-looking as her husband : but my ideal portraiture was wrong. She was slender, without however being of the emaciated leanness of Lady Georgiana Tiverton—quiet in her manners—speaking in a softly subdued voice, as if much accustomed to attend upon the sick-room —walking with that lightness of tread which has almost the stealthiness of the cat—taking care never to open nor shut doors violently—but mov- How are your mistress S) Geom, ElN@O)