Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 25: what you’re looking at

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12 JOSEPH WILMOT; oR, CHAPTER IV. * MENDICITY, AND ITS RESULT. THE sun was shining brightly—the birds were }open the gate. singing merrily in the trees—the face of nature appeared to wear its happiest smiles: but not even from the serene aspect of the sky nor from the | upon me. } | i | THE MEMOIRS CF A MAN-SERVANT. astonishment at the glibness that characterized : so atrocious a tissue of falsehoods,—an elderly gentleman, mounted on a very beautiful horse, appeared round an angle of the road; and the porter, savagely bidding us “ stand back,’ threw The gentleman had something exceedingly mild and benevolent in his look; and as he was passing into the enclosure, his eyes fell He surveyed me with a compassionate loveliness of the earth, could my young heart drink | interest; and reining in his stead, began to feel in the slightest inspiration of solace. had put into his pocket a comb and a rag that had Mr. Taddy | in his pocket for scme money. “ Beg pardon, sir,’ remarked the porter; “ but served as a towel at his lodgings; and leading the | I don’t think this man is deserving of anything, way through the fields to the bank of the New River (as he informed me the stream was called), | | however it may be with the boy: for while he was telling me a whole string of stories—and also he bade me make myself as nice as possible, as he | that he was the boy’s father—the lad looked up in meant to play “the respectable dodge.” circulars and his conversation, I comprehended what this meant. commence a career of mendicancy, assuming as From his | his face in perfect astonishment.” “My boy,” said the elderly gentleman, “tell He purposed that we should’! me the truth: is this man your father ?” Mr. Taddy, who still held my arm in his grasp, respectable an exterior as under circumstances | pressed it significantly in order to prompt my was possible. I was cruelly shocked at finding such was his determination: but I knew full well that there was no alternative. [had eaten nothing since the afternoon of the preceding day: I was half famished with hunger; and thus the calls of nature, being imperious, forced me into his views. We made our ablutions on the river’s bank; and then striking across the fields, we drew near a large and handsome house, situated in the midst of a park where the fleecy sheep were browzing on their emerald carpet, and the deer were frisking about. There was a porter’s lodge at the entrance of the carriage-drive leading through the parx up to the mansion; and above the palings was a painted board, warning off vagrants under pain of prose- eution if found intruding within the enclosure. I shrank back in mingled shame and terror on be- holding that intimation: but Mr. Taddy, seizing me roughly by the arm, grasped me with such vio- lence that he almost made me cry out with the pain,—saying in a low fierce voice at the same time, “ By heaven, you young hound, if you don’t keep quict and look as demure and miserable as possible, I will flay you alive!” There was no necessity to tell me to look miscrable—for heaven knows I felt so: and Mr. Taddy, drawing forth from his pocket a paper which I immediately recognised as a begging petition I had myself drawn up to his dictation, he range the bell at the gate. The porter—a stout, surly-looking man—came forth from his lodge; and on perceiving us through the iron bars of the gate, he ordered us to be off, “as he didn’t want trampers there.” Then Mr. Taddy, assuming the most lugubrious look, began whining and snuffling forth a lamentable ditty—of how he was a respectable but decayed tradesman—how he had been reduced to distress by a series of un- avoidable misfortunes—how he had a wife and seven children in a most deplorable -condition— how he had come out with his dear son, his be- loved eldest boy (indicating me) to beseech the succour of the charitable—and how the memorial he held in his hand, was attested by the clergyman of his parish and eighteen persons of repute and eminence who had known him in better days. While he was giving forth this tirade,—which caused me to look up in his countenance with response: but I said boldly, “No, sir—he is not my father. I am no relation to him.” * Well, sir,” observed Mr. Taddy, assuming a most piteous look, after having darted a fiercely diabolical glance at me,—“ it’s true that I am not exactly the boy’s father: but let him say whether I didn’t take him out of the streets and act as afather to him. We are in very great distress, sir 9 “Hold your tongue,’ interrupted the gentle- man: then again fixing his eyes upon me, he said, “ Do you wish to continue with this man ?” “Oh, no—no!” I ejaculated, with passionate vehemence: for I was suddenly inspired by the hope that heaven had now sent me a friend to rescue me from the slough of wretchedness and degradation into which I had been plunged. “ Give me employment, sir—even the most menial anything—and I will thankfully accept it— Oh, so thankfully !” “Very well, my boy,” answered the gentleman : “T will not disregard your prayer. Now, my man,” he continued, turning towards Taddy, “here is a shilling for you. Ihave no doubt it is more than you deserve: but take yourself off. Begone, I say—directly!’ added the gentleman sternly, as he saw that my companion still lin- gered, and was evidently loath to part from me. “T am a justice of the peace; and Mr. Taddy stayed to hear no more: but giving me a spiteful thrust forward, he turned abruptly on his heel and hurried away. The gentleman then bade me follow him up to the mansion,—he walking his horse so as not to outstrip me. He said nothing more for the present: but upon reach- ing the house, desired a footman to take me into the servants’ hall, give me some food, and conduct me to the library when I had received refreshment. In the servants’ hall I found myself an object of interest with the domestics assembled there ; and I overheard some of the observations which passed between them in a low voice. One said that I was a gentecl-looking boy: another that I had a certain air of superiority above my present condi- tion; and others spoke to a similar effect. A good breakfast was set before me; and the reader may suppose how much I enjoyed a plentiful meal of good and wholesome food, served up with a clean- liness which appeared to be of the most delicate 00) S) é (0)