Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 33: what you’re looking at

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20 JOSEPH WILMOT; quired, gasping forth the words: for I felt a sudden faintness at the heart—a sickness—a sen- sation as if the blood were running down into my feet, and that thus life was on the point of ebbing quick out of me through my extremities. “That gentleman— Mr. Lanover —is your uncle :’—and Mr. Delmar spoke with a hesitation amounting almost to aversion. “My uncle!” I murmvred: and I staggered back against the wall. “Yes—my dear Joseph,” said the humpback, now again advancing towards me, and speaking in his harsh disagreeable voice; “I am your uncle. Your father and mother are dead—I am your nearest relative—I come to take you home Embrace me.” I endeavoured to be calm: I exerted all the power of my youthful being to control the wild rush of horrified feelings that were surging up within me. The effort I thus made was stupen- dous: but those feelings were stronger than my- self—horror, loathing, disgust, abhorrence, terror, and aversion, were all concentrated therein; and as.he approached closer towards me, I shricked forth, “No, no!’—covering my face with my hands as if to shut out a hideous monster from my view. “Well, this is pretty, upon my word,” said Mr. Lanover, stopping short. “ Joseph, I am ashamed of you,” observed Mr. Jukes, in a voice of deprecating severity. ‘“ Mrs. Nelson, I am sure, never brought you up to such undutiful disobedience as this. You ought to fling yourself into the arms of this kind good uncle who is gomg to take you to a happy home.” “No, no!” I again screamed out. “I will stay with Mr. Delmar :’—but as I abruptly with- drew my hands from my countenance and turned a look of entreaty on my kind master, I was smitten with despair on seeing that he shook his head gloomily. At this moment the door opened; and Edith Delmar—who, as I afterwards learnt, had heard in another room my piercing ejaculations—sud- denly made her appearance. She seemed to me like a guardian angel: there was hope in the presence of that bright and beautiful creature. I flew towards her; and throwing myself at her feet, exclaimed passionately, “Save me, Miss ~ Delmar—Oh, save me from that dreadful man!” —and I pointed towards Lanover. “Save you, my poor boy,” repeated Edith, her eyes sweeping round in astonishment upon the scene: and then her looks recoiled from the humpback with an abhorrence which, despite her good breeding and the natural generosity of her heart, she could not possibly conceal. “ Rise, Joseph—trise,” said Mr. Delmar, hasten- ing forward to catch me by the arm and lift me up from my supplant posture. “ You know that both I and my daughter would do whatever we could to serve you: but the claims of a relative are, I fear, paramount.” “ A relative ?” said Edith inquiringly. “Yes, my dear,” responded Mr. Delmar: then, as he indicated the dwarf, he went on to observe, “This gentleman proclaims himself to be Joseph’s uncle. He saw the advertisements inserted by Mrs. Nelson in the newspapers, calling upon the OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. friends or relations of Joseph Wilmot to come for- ward. He proceeded to Leicester ; and hearing something that led him to apply to Mr. Jukes, he learnt under what circumstances Joseph had left that city and where he was now to be found. Mr. Jukes, in his capacity of a Poor Law Guardian of Leicester, considered it right and proper to accom- pany Mr. Lanover to London, to see that Joseph was duly assigned to his care. Certain particulars have been given me by Mr. Lanover in respect to Joseph’s parentage: but it is unnecessary to men- tion them.” I listened with a wild trepidation to these ex- planations ; and when they were finished, I darted my appealing looks first at Mr. Delmar, then at his daughter—then back again upon the father, and once more upon Edith. The young lady was evidently much distressed; and I am certain that she entered fully into the feeling of abhorrence and disgust which I entertained in respect to Mr. Lanover. - For a moment—but only for a moment —my soul was smitten with remorse and sorrow at the betrayal of feelings into which I had been led in respect to one who, proclaiming himself my uncle, sought to embrace me and offered me a home. But the next instant that compunctious sensation passed away: for when I again bent my shuddering looks upon the repulsive countenance of the hideous monster, I felt that I never could acknowledge him as my uncle—and that even if he had announced himself as my father, I should have recoiled from him with the same insurmount- able repugnance. I could not help it :—the feel- ing struck me as being unnatural, ungrateful, and wicked; but I had no power over volition—I was not master of myself—I could no more control my own sensations than I could have quieted the raging eddies of the Maelstrom. “But perhaps,” suggested Edith, “as Joseph feels happy here, Mr. Lanover will allow him to remain ?” “Tf you will,” cried Mr. Delmar eagerly, “his livery shall be put off, and he shall be treated in a different manner.” “You are very kind,” responded the humpback : and methought (but I afterwards reflected it might be mere fancy) that his apish mouth grinned ma- lignantly: “you are very kind—but it 1s my duty to take charge of my nephew. When he comes to know me better, he will like me; and I shall for- give him this little ebullition of feeling which he has displayed towards me.” “Tf you wish me well,’ I exclaimed, with con- tinued vehemence, “leave me where I am! In that case I shall be no burthen upon you—nor will IT eat the bread of idleness here. I will work for my food. Leave me therefore—leave me.” “Well, I never saw such a boy,” said Mr. Jukes, affecting to hold up his hands in amazement, “There is his kind uncle - “Come, Joseph—you must come,’ said the dwart quickly: and he again advanced towards me. “No, no!’? I once more shrieked out, and rushed behind Mr. Delmar for protection,—cling- ing to that gentleman as if to the only barrier be- tween myself and the vortex of despair. My good master was evidently irresolute how to act. Edith approached him; and I heard her whisper in his ear, in a tone of entreaty, “Do consider, dear ELO@QO) <S im (c@)