Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

160 JOSEPH WILMOT: OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. “My lord!” I exclaimed, perfectly bewildered by these announcements, which struck me as being singularly impossible as to accuracy of date, for it was only in the morning of that very day I had met Calanthe,—announcements, too, which ap- peared to give a far more serious complexion to all that had taken place between us than the matter really deserved. - Nay, interrupt me not!” said the old noble- man, with so peremptory a wave of his hand, and such a stern expression of countenance, that “Everything is arranged,” continued the old nobleman : “the special heense is procured—the clergyman will be here in a few minutes:” and he looked at his watch as he spoke. “ Five thousand pounds will be remitted to Calcutta, to be received by you on your arrival there with her who is pre- sently to become your wife; and sufficient means shall be at once afforded you for the voyage. My son—he who stands by your side—will accompany his degraded sister and yourself to the sea-port whence you will embark. In the far-off clime to for the instant I was overawed and dismayed : | which you are about to repair, you may enter upon “listen to me—and you shall speak afterwards. some career which may lead to wealth: but L But if your own sentiments be rightly explained | warn you never to write to any member of her. by her whom I once called daughter, it cannot be a remonstrance which you will have to offer— much less a refusal that you will dare to give. The world is as yet unacquainted with her degradation : the secret is known but to three persons besides you and her unhappy self. Those three are her parents and this indignant and half-maddened bro- ther whom you see here.” | “But, my lord,” T again interrupted him, and with passionate vehemence too: for what I now heard corresponded but very little indeed with what Lady Calanthe had told me, when she had spoken of the taunts and the jeers of ali her bro- thers and all her sisters. «Silence, sir!” exclaimed the old nobleman. “Enstead of interjecting your own remarks, you ought to fall down upon your knees and implore my pardon No, that were useless!’ he added haughtily: “for my pardon never can be afforded. What I am about to do, must not be regarded by you as a proof of forgiveness either for yourself or the degraded object of your most fatal love. It is to save her from the crowning disgrace—to place her beyond the reach of the world’s opprobrium and scorn—that I am taking this step. In a word, sir, your hands must be united within the hour that is passing !” “My lord!” I once more ejaculated wildly, as the image of Annabel sprang up in my mind. “ Silence!” exclaimed the young nobleman, in a deep stern voice, as he clutched me by the shoulder as forcibly as he had done on the spot where we first met. ‘ By heaven! if you dare offer a re- monstrance—if you dare hesitate—I will stretch you dead at my feet, even though I were to mount the gallows to-morrow for the deed !”—and again his pistol was produced. T do not hesitate to confess that I was a prey to the profoundest terror. The extraordinary turn which the evening’s adventures had taken—my mysterious introduction into this mansion—that spacious apartment with its dark massive furni- ture, and all so dimly lighted—that old man with his thin white hair, his ghastly expression of coun- tenance, and his dead-looking eyes fixed upon me —the evident resoluteness of purpose which ani- _— a at | family She is discarded—she is thrown off !” ‘My lord,” I exclaimed, the wild agony of my feelings now loosening the spell which awful terror had affixed upon my powers of speech,—* I cannot —I will not ‘ “ Villain !” ejaculated the old nobleman, starting up from his seat: “dare you thus refuse to make the only atonement which it is in your power to afford ?” * Yes—villain indeed !”’ cried the younger noble- man, as he shook me with all his force: but the next instant he staggered back, and would have fallen if he had not come in violent contact with the table; for in a sudden paroxysm of indigna- tion, I dealt him with all my power a blow upon the chest. The pistol dropped from his hand :— in a moment I snatched it up; and stepping back two .or three paces, exclaimed in a determined tone, “If you dare to ill-treat me again, I will act. as if in defence of my life: for I do firmly . believe it to be menaced!” — : Scarcely had I thus spoken, when the old noble- man said in a tone of earnest entreaty—vyery different from that in which he had hitherto been speaking,—* For heayen’s sake let there be no. violence! This is a matter which must be argued —if argued at all—reasonably and rationally.” “My lord,’ I at once answered, hastening to deposit the weapon upon the table, “it is not a personage of your gray hairs that I would for a moment threaten. But let your son understand that he has not to do with a mere boy: nor will I be coerced in any way—least of all into this marriage.” a “ Diabolical scoundrel!” ejaculated the younger nobleman, his countenance hideous with rage; and in a moment he caught up the pistol which I, with more magnanimity than prudence, had aban- doned. “Father, stand aside! You see that we have to do with a villain, Young as he is in years, he is evidently old in the most profligate iniquity. “Leave me to settle with him !” “You are usurping advantages,” I said reso- lutely, “which I have renounced :”—and I glanced towards the weapon. “Every advantage is legitimate in such cir- mated both him and his son—the forcible grasp | cumstances as these!” exclaimed the infuriate rivetted upon me—the threatening weapon—the | man. horrible menace which had accompanied its pro- duction—and that dreadful picture to which my glances were every now and then flung, as if the “ Hush! we shall be overheard,” said his father, | now terribly agitated. “The disturbance, my lord,” said I, “is not snake upon the canvass possessed all the fascinating of my creating: and if you would only listen to power of the loathsome, hideous, living reality— me the entire scene, in short, was but too well calcu- | 39 ‘ What have you to say?” “Listen to you! lated thus to fill me with a solemn awe and terrific interrupted the younger nobleman, but now speak- |in a much lower tone: “what can you have to consternation. 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