Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 282: what you’re looking at

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JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. most cheerful marriage-prospect that I ever had to contempiate.” “And you say that the ceremony is to be performed at the residence of the Marquis in Gloucestershire? In which pale of that county is his dwelling situated ?” Thomas was about to reply, when the parlour- bell rang suddenly; and thus our conversation was cut short. I was saddened to a certain extent at much of what I had just heard. I was afflicted at the thought that the kind hearts of Mr. and Mrs. Rowland should be wounded by the insufferable pride and arrogance of the Chilham family—and that the fine spirit of Mr. Stephen should be chafed and galled by the same influences. The young gentleman was in every respect one to be admired and esteemed. He was not only remarkably hand- some, as I have already said—but though the son and the nephew of merchants, his manners were as good as those of any scion of an aristocratic race with a genealogical tree ample enough to contain all the birds of the air. He was intellectual too— well informed—and had evidently found time to cultivate literature and the arts. It was no wonder that a beautiful patrician lady should have become enamoured of him :—especially was it a subject of no marvel to me, who in a much humbler sphere had become the object of a high-born damsel’s fer- vent and devoted love. Mr. Stephen was tall, slender, and well made: his dark brown hair, curl- ing naturally, clustered around a high open fore- head;— and there was something inexpressibly frank and ingenuous in his clear blue eyes. The very day after that conversation which I had with Thomas, preparations were commenced for the journey into Gloucestershire. Myself and the lady’s-maid were to accompany Mr. and Mrs. Rowland and their-nephew; and it was intended that they should travel in their own carriage, but with post-horses. The distance between Man- chester and our destination was, I learnt, about one hundred and thirty miles; and this could easily be performed in a couple of days. The larger portion however was reserved for the second day, inasmuch as the Rowlands purposely pre- arranged matters so that they might reach the Marquis of Chilham’s residence at a late hour in the evening preceding the bridal morn: for not merely had his invitation been rudely specific upon the point, but their own pride naturally led them to trespass for as brief a space as possible upon the hospitality—if such it could be called—of the haughty, arrogant family with which they were about to become connected. The journey was commenced about nine o’clock in the morning—Mr. and Mrs. Rowland, with their nephew, occupying the interior of the vehicle —myself and Helen (the lady’s-maid) riding to- gether in the rumble behind. Up to this moment I had remained in ignorance of the place of our destination, inasmuch as it had not been hitherto mentioned to me, and in the bustle of the pre- parations for departure I had not thought of renewing the inquiry towards Thomas. While seated by Helen’s side in our place behind the carriage, I put the question. ' “What!” she exclaimed, laughing, “is it pos- sible you do not know where we are going? and you have not had curiosity enough to inquire ‘leaving about seventy for the following one. 269 before. Now, for my part, I am always so in- terested in everything that relates to weddings, there is not a single point I should have omitted to ask about. Ihave avery great mind to tan- talise you, and not suffer you to know until we are close at our journey’s end.” “Do so, if you please,” I responded, entering into her good-humoured mischievousness. “I dare say you think I shall persecute you with ques- tions and conjectures until I worm the secret out of you M4 ““T am sure you will!” cried Helen, still laugh- ing: “because it is human nature. Come, begin with your guesses.” “In the first place,’ I resumed, “I know very well that our destination is somewhere in Glouces- tershire.”’ “Ah! you have already learnt that much?” exclaimed my companion. “ But remember, Gloucestershire is of some extent—and there are many, many towns in that county. ever been into Gloucestershire P” “Yes—I was there for a short time, the year before last.” «¢ And where, may I ask ?” “ At Cheltenham,” was my response. “Ah, Cheltenham!” echoed my companion, with a roguish smile, which at once made me suspect that the town just named was our desti- nation—the more especially as it was so fashion- able a place. ‘“ Well, go on with your guesses.” “TI think I have guessed already: it is Chel-. tenham.” “Well then, now your curiosity is satisfied,” exclaimed Helen. “And our destination is really Cheltenham P” I rejoined, with a feeling of surprise, which how- ever escaped the notice of the lady’s-maid. How many recollections did the name of that town suddenly conjure up in my mind!—my meeting with Lady Calanthe—our interview in her father’s garden—and the singular adventures in connexion with the room wherein I had be- holden that terrible picture of the man in the embrace of the serpent. It was now upwards of eighteen months since those occurrences; and when I had quitted Cheltenham in the service of Mrs. Robinson, I had little expected to revisit it after | so comparatively brief an interval. These reflec- tions led me to think of the manifold adventures . through which I had passed during that space; and then, extending the range of my retrospection, as I looked back upon all that had occurred to . me since I left the school at Leicester, I thought that I had already seen enough of lite to embody my experiences in a volume of no ordinary . interest. But to continue my narrative. On the first day of the journey we accomplished sixty miles, I should observe that as it grew towards evening, Mrs. Rowland desired the maid to take the hitherto vacant seat inside the carriage, as the March wind blew chill and strong. An offer was even pro- posed by the kind-hearted “Rowlands to make room for me: but to this I responded firmly in the negative,—declaring that I was well wrapped up, and that I rather enjoyed the freshness of the breeze than experienced any inconvenience from it. On the second day the journey was not re- Have you SG RS ee JOO SS (CO) iin