Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

274 voice now becoming low and tremulous, “the honour of one of the noblest families of England is in your keeping !” “TI am aware of it, my lord—and it will be kept. Did you ever hear it whispered,’ I went on to ask,—“ did you ever hear the faintest rumour breathed, that I had even so much as hinted at what took place in this room a year and a half back ?” “Tt is true! you must have kept your promise !” said the Marquis. “ But circumstances have be- come more grave—and everything has doubtless been already conjectured by you, éven if it be not completely clear to your comprehension. Are you specially attached to—to——Mr. Stéphen Rowland ?”—and it appeared to cost the Marquis a strong effort to give utterance ‘to"n "name which was evidently hated by him. “Tam specially attached to that ~éntléman,” was my response, 3 “ And after the marriage,” céntintéd the Mar- quis, “ you'are' doubtless to acebinipatiy him whithér- scever he and ‘my daughter ‘tiay'go ‘to ipass “their ( honeymoon?” OES “Such is the arrangement, tly “lord.” “But'it Cannot be !” he ejatulated, in“ parox- ysm of ‘strong ‘agitation. ‘My daughtér‘will ‘re- cogniseyou—she ‘will remember that she"itet you here—and she ‘will ‘be’ overwheliied With shaime.” Eugéte ‘bitterly. “Shdtiie “indéed Pie “has none.” Siteriée |” interrupted “the “Marquis: “this is an affair which a father,’ arid not “a ‘brother, can Witmot,/T Have ‘still sufficient best manage. ‘Joseph regard for my darghter—if ‘not ‘in ‘one ‘sense, at least in another—to indute' ie to' express the ‘wish that she may not continudiisly hive’ to blush before the world whenever she’ encdétintérs ‘your look. It is impossible therefore that ‘you “can remain “in attendance upon Mr. Stephen Rowland ME “And yet, father,’ interrupted Eugetie “vehe- mently, “it is not for you to humilfate yotirself' so far as to confer privately with Stéphen Rdwhine ! —it is not for you to expldin ‘to ‘him how this young man came to learn the fatal secret of my sister’s dishonour!—it is not for you to express the desire that he,” alluding to myself, “ should no longer remain attached to the person of Ger- trude’s intended husband !” “What is to be done?” said the Marquis: and he raised his hand ina sort of agonized embarrass- ment to his pale, wrinkled, care-worn forehead. “Let this young man depart hence suddenly and secretly,” suggested Eugene: “give him a sum of money—or do something for him vf “I require no money, Lord Lester,” I indig- nantly interrupted the Marquis’s son: “and as for decamping stealthily from my present service, I will not do it. Not for worlds would I incur the imputation of the blackest ingratitude where I owe: évery obligation of thankfulness! But at the same time I do recognise all the inconvenience of my remaining attached to Mr, Stephen Row- land’s person. I can full well understand,’ I added somewhat bitterly, “that you do not wish him to learn the incidents which occurred in this room the year before last, and’ how you sought at the pistol’s muzzle to compel one whom you took to be Stephen Rowland himself, to espouse Lady «What “nattér Gértrude’s ‘fedlitivs?” “ried I am ‘incapable ‘Of “aétiiie “itigenerously= time ‘presses, * ‘Permit ‘me to"sigeést ‘a ipldh’;"nd thotiwh to a ‘cértain degrée ‘it involves a'fédttire which“may be ‘man,” I wet ‘@h “fo say; “aiid if he ‘Be ‘acquainted with “all ‘these’ facts, he will Wéar-hi JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. Lester. Doubtless had you at the time succeeded in encountering Mr. Stephen Rowland, instead of me, he would have joyously led Lady Lester to the altar. I know that you would both look little enough in his eyes if he were acquainted with the scene to which I have alluded: I know also that if Lady Lester, when she becomes his wife, were to behold and recognise me, she would naturally exhibit a degree of emotion which would induce him to ask for explanations o “Gertrude has sworn,” grieq Hugene, vehe- mently, “never -to ¥eveal what took place here that nigh L: t 1 39 “Let the young man speak,” said the Marquis. “He acknéWledgés—and ‘with some degree of generosity too—that it would be inconvéniént for him to be retégniséd_——’ “Yes,” I antéfrupted the ‘nobleman: “and have too mith ‘éstéem for Mr. Stephen Rowland to suffer his féelin#s to be wounded by the know- ledge that ‘past ‘Circtitistdti¢és in ‘respect ‘to his intended ‘bride,‘dre KndWh “fo “He. Nor would I have that ‘youtie ‘each other's préséiiée When I ‘stood befére them ‘and whéh they Would “He “He is'#equdinted with our secret !’” “Thén “what ‘do syou propose?” ingtired the “Marglits, With “Hervotis “haste: “what do you sug- gest 2 Whit will Syou‘db'? “your former ‘Géeasién, Wien Fyou refused the iHieney I “Offered ; “and “I ‘Have “ib "Feason to fear tHiat you ‘will’ now’ beHave'in'a COHthity spirit.” highinitided did Wdependent conduét‘on the ‘No, iiy Terd, Tawswered: “for many teasons painful to ‘you bOth, I see “Ho “other way of ex- ‘tri¢ating oulfselvés from theéiibarrassmetits which ‘@niésh us A.” “But your pln, Joseph Wilniot?? Sifed the Marquis of Chiltfam anxi 4 “Old Mr. ‘Réwland “is “a ‘kind, ‘wart Wearted self considerately—We will do his best “What! make him a confidant ?” criéd Eugene vehemently. “It will be as bad as letting Stephen Rowland himself know everything.” “Then, my lord,” I said, speaking coldly to the younger nobleman, “adopt your own course, for I have nothing better to suggest :’—and I was moving towards the door. “Stop, Joseph—for heaven’s sake stop!” cried the Marquis. ‘And you, Eugene, remain silent, I command you! has to suggest.” “Once more then, my lord,’ I responded, “ft will endeavour to make myself understood: but if I be again interrupted in a scornful manner that would seem to convey the impression that I am some open and avowed enemy, I will withdraw from the business, leaving it to take its own course.” — *““ Proceed, Joseph,” said the Marquis. “I propose, my lord,” I accordingly resumed, “that I should make a confidant of the elder Mr. Rowland—that I should tell him everything; and he will then devise a befitting excuse in order to 3 ‘bride “did ‘bridegroom blush in ve to say to théliiselves, | T have a recolléctidn of But “a decisith “Hust be arPived at. | “fade | te awa 39 } We can but hear what Joseph COMME OOOKS.COMM