Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

16 JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, TIE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. : $< EE OeeEeeeEeEeEeEeEeEeEee—eeee—eee—e ee * Joseph,” observed Mr. Delmar in the course of the following day, “ you made for yourself new friends yesterday. Mr. and Mrs. Mulgrave quite envicd me the possession of such a page; and I can assure you that my son-in-law was very anxious to have you in his service. But I would not for a moment listen to the proposal; and I do not think, Joseph, that you have any desire to leave me P” “Oh, no, sir—far, very far from that!” I ex- claimed, my heart bounding with delight at the assurance I had just received from my kind mas- ter’s lips that he was equally :disinclined for a separation. * CHAPTER V. THE MUSEUM.—THE HUMPBACK. Tue library of Delmar Manor was a spacious and lofty room—very handsomely furnished—and the shelves of which were crowded with books, being protected from the dust by glass doors. Along the top of the bookcases there was an array of exqui- sitely sculptured busts and curious old china vases. Communicating with this library by means of a glass-door, was a smaller room serving as a mu- seum of curiosities and objects of vertu. In each of the four corners stood a suit of armour,—these panoplies belonging to four distinct periods of the age when such mail-defences were worn. There were cases containing specimens of polished mar- ble—others filled with peculiar shells—others with tropical birds and insects, carefully preserved :— others, again, presented to the view a variety of mineralogical specimens; and in addition to these there was a iniscellaneous collection of old jars, porcelains, and vases, of all sorts of shapes and be- longing to all ages. One day, about a week after the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Mulgrave, I had occasion to enter the library to deliver a letter to Mr. Delmar, who was seated there; and with his wonted kindness of manner, he kept me in conversation for a few minutes. He spoke to me about books—told me that I was most welcome to take volumes from the library for the recreation of my leisure hours —and pointed out a shelf where he thought I should find those which were most suitable and proper for my perusal. He then took me into the Museum, as the smaller room adjoining was denominated ; and as this was the first tune I had been there— the first time, too, that I had ever seen suits of armour—I was much interested with the contents of the apartment. Mr. Delmar, observing that the dust had entered some of the glass cases, and that several of the ornithological and entomological spe- cimens had fallen down or become otherwise disar- ranged, asked me if I thought I could cleanse the cases carefully and restore the objects just men- tioned to their proper position? I at once assured him that I would undertake the task, with the certainty of fulfilling it to his complete satisfaction. He accordingly instructed me to commence at once: and haying procured all that was requisite for the purpose, I shut myself in the museum and entered upon the work. This was about eleven o’clock in the forenoon ; and soon after I began, Mr. Delmar went out for a ride on horseback with Miss Edith, who was very fond of equestrian exercise. A little before one o’clock I heard the library door open again: and drawing aside the curtain of the glass door to see who was entering, I perceived thes 74 was Mr. Delmar, who having returned from his ride, sat down again to continue the perusal of some volume in which he seemed deeply interested. He did not enter the museum to observe how I was acquitting my- self of the task entrusted to me; and I therefore concluded that he had forgotten my presence there. The work which I had to do, made no noise; and there was consequently nothing to remind my mas- ter of my being in the museum. A few minutes after he had returned to the library, I heard the door again open; and Edward the footman announced Mr. Mulgrave. I went on with my work, the thought never striking me that any conversation of a private character was about to take place between my master and his son-in- law. Indced, I myself was so interested in the task which I had undertaken, and was so absorbed in the purpose of executing it with the utmost carefulness, that though I heard the voices of those gentlemen talking in the library, I for some time remained totally unconscious of the subject of their discourse. At leneth I was suddenly startled by hearing Mr. Delmar speak in a louder and more excited tone than I had ever before noticed during the short time I had been in his service. “No, Augustus,” he exclaimed; “TI will not do it! Listen—do not interruptme. You have now been married to Clara ten years: and during that period you have received from me no less than fourteen thousand pounds, in addition to the ten thousand I gave her as a dowry. Your extrava- grances, sir, are past all endurance. J have remon- strated with you gently and kindly—I have spoken to you angrily—I have discoursed seriously, and I hope in a mannner consistent with my duty as your father-in-law: but all to no purpose. It is invariably the same story. Fresh debts—fresh promises of retrenchment—and renewed disregard for all these pledges so solemnly given. Your brother, Lord Eccleston, who so generously allows you fifteen hundred a year, is likewise wearied of your incessant importunities - “ Tmportunities P” echoed Mr. Mulgrave, with the startled abruptness of anger: “ this is a hard word, sir.” | “T grieve, Augustus,” replied, Mr, Delmar, more mildly than for the last few minutes he had been speaking,—“ I am truly and deeply grieved to be compelled to use it: but I am forced to speak plainly. Your brother has a large family to sup- port; and you cannot deny that he has done his best for you. For heaven’s sake do not weary out his patience by too frequent demands upon his purse! As for myself, I am determined not to minister any longer to your extravagances.” “ But, my-dear sir,” urged Mr. Mulgrave, now adopting a tone of entreaty, “do consider the position in which I am placed. What is fifteen hundred a year to keep up a certain degree of style ?” “ Fifteen hundred a year,” rejoined My. Delmar, “for a couple who have no children, is an ample revenue. With proper economy it will enable you to maintain the establishment in Grosvenor Square OOOL<S (Cc) \ 4, A