Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, TITE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. 19 “something wrong was uppermost in my mind. On opening the parlour-door, I was seized with per- fect consternation on beholding Mr. Jukes seated ‘in that room! _ Mr, Delmar was standing behind a chair, on which he leant with both his hands ; and the quick appealing glance which I threw upon him, showed me that his countenance wore an expression of ominous misgiving. But before I go on to explain what took place, I will endeavour to depict the appearance of the third person whom I found there. He.was, as Edward had described him, a very short man, much deformed, with a humped shoulder greatly protruding. He was apparently about fifty years of age—with harsh iron-gray hair—shagey overhanging brows—and a cada- verous countenance, marked with the small-pox. He had a cunning, apish, disagreeable look—not merely disagreeable, but repulsive, and one from which it was impossible to help recoiling. His deep-set eyes partly resembled those of the weasel and partly those of the snake. The light seemed hanging as it were in their depths; and he looked out with a cold but searching gaze, penetrating and hideously fascinating. He was apparelled in a suit of black, evidently quite new: his hands were of enormous size—his arms exceedingly long : his legs were very short—and his enormous feet were cased in shoes with the strings tied in large bows. Altogether he had the appearance of a baboon dressed up. It was not however at the first glance that I scrutinized him sufliciently to be enabled to record this description : for as I have already said, I was seized with consternation on beholding Myr. Jukes; and the serious look of foreboding which Myr. Delmar wore, was but little calculated to inspire me with courage. The dwarfish humpback leapt down from his chair, and hastening across the room towards me, appeared about to extend his arms—TI knew not whether to embrace or knock me down,—when Mr. Delmar, as if suddenly struck by a thought, sprang after him; and holding him back, said quickly, “Stop, sir—let us break it gently.” _ “Ah, to be sure—quite right—very prudent in- deed,” responded the humpback, his voice having a sort of rattling, husky, jarring sound, which grated terribly upon the ears, while his apish mouth grinned significantly on one side, as he glanced up over his deformed shoulder at Mr. Delmar. “ How do you do, Joseph?” said Mr. Jukes to me, as he nodded his head in a half-familiar, half- patronizing manner; and his countenance had put off its sternness now. I did not answer: I was bewildered with terror and suspense. What did all this mean? why was Jukes there ? who was the humpback? wherefore did Mr. Delmar look mournfully serious? and what was the intelligence that had to be broken to me ? “ Joseph,” said my kind master, taking me by the hand and leading me a little on one side— while the humpback turned to converse in a whis- per with Mr. Jukes,—“ Joseph, my dear boy,”— and the exceeding benevolence of Mr. Delmar’s voice and look tended to aggravate my misgivings: for I felt that so much sympathy could only be the precursor of some very disagreeable intelligence : “{ have an important communication to make. Pre- tg EL ———————— —— ————————————————————— pare yourself to hear it—do not be excited—per- haps you will be rejoiced :’’—and yet the expres- sion of his features was utterly at varianee with the hope which he had thus thrown out. I tried to speak; I longed to be put out of sus- pense: but I could not give utterance to a word. I was gasping: my throat felt as if I had swal- lowed ashes; and I must have been pale as death, —for the anguish of feeling I experienced and the mortal terror that was upon me, were supreme. “Yes, Joseph,” resumed Mr. Delmar, -who, though he understood the agony of suspense I was enduring, was yet evidently loath to communicate what would put an immediate end thereto ;—“ it is a very important piece of intelligence which I have to impart. You are about to leave me, Josep * ; “No, sir—no—never!” I shrieked forth, the wildness of my despair suddenly unlocking my tongue and finding a vent in words. “ Never, never!” —and falling on my knees, I clung with my arms clasped around Mr. Delmar’s legs. “ For God’s sake do not cast me off, sir! for God’s sake, do not!” As I thus spoke in a rending tone, I flung my shuddering looks towards the humpback ; for the conviction was strong in my mind that it was to this individual’s care, through the agency of Mr. Jukes, I was to be handed over ;—and at the mo- ment I would sooner have been hurled amidst the slimy folds of a coiled-up boa-constrictor, than be assigned to the power of that horrible lump of de- formity. From his countenance those shuddering looks of mine were quickly reverted with the strongest recoil: for it struck me that there was something terribly malignant in his eyes as they surveyed me from beneath the shaggy overhanging brows, like a reptile looking out from a cave edged with furze. I beheld a tear trembling on Mr. Delmar’s lashes: he hastily brushed it away; and assuming the air of one who musters all his strength of mind for the performance of a duty as painful as it is imperious, he said, “ Rise, Jcseph— and listen to what I have to say. You must hear it, my poor boy, sooner or later; and it is better you should know it at once.” I did rise; and I stood pale and trembling, with dismay and terror depicted on my countenance,— my looks again darting towards the humpback, and then being as quickly reverted to the benevo- lent countenance of Mr. Delmar, Oh! what a contrast between the villanous features of the former, and the serene but serious philanthropy expressed in those of the latter! “Yes, Joseph—it is indeed true,” continued my master: “ you are about to leave me. But heaven knows with what sincerity I declare it is against my own inclination! Cast you off; my boy? no, never—I could not have done so! But that person that gentleman,” he added, correcting himself, as if the first term which he had used con- stituted an incivility,—“ has certain claims F “What claims ?’ I demanded with excited vehemence: “ what claims ?’”—for Mr. Delmar, as he spoke, had glanced towards the humpback. “That gentleman———Mr. Lanover,” continued my master, “has been led by the advertisements which Mrs. Nelson inserted in the newspapers, to inquire after you: for he is he is - “ What ?—in the name of God, what?” I in- OOO) SS (CO i