Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

when in one of his sullen moods, appearing only in the pariour to take his meals. Sometimes, too, he was out a great deal both day and nizht,—always “on business”’—but what its nature was, he never said. ‘There appeared to be no lack of pecuniary means: he was evidently fond of good living, and the table was well supplied. The house was tole- rably well furnished; and two female servants were Eept. No duns knocked at the door: no creditor ever asked twice for his money; and Mr. Lanover did not stint his wife and daughter of any neces- saries. But still he was a tyrant in his whole conduct: his will was a law from which there was no appeal: nothing could be done without his sanction ;—and hence the evident misgiving which his wife had expressed on my arrival as to the amount of welcome I should experience beneath that roof. - But I must now return to the first day of my transference from Delmar Manor to Mr. Lanover’s house. I sat conversing with my aunt and cousin —for so I was desired to call them—until four oelock (it being about two when I arrived): and then the humpback came in to dinner. He spoke but little; and what he did say was in a harsh cross manner to us ali three. When the meal was over, he bade me follow him into the back room, which was called “the office :” and making me sit down opposite to him, he eyed me for some time with a sert of sardonic satisfaction, asif in malig- nant triumph at having got me into his clutches at last. But I was so pleased with the society of his wife and daughter, that I felt I could endure much on the part of Mr. Lanover. * Well,” he said, with a sort of inward chuckle, “and so you are beneath your uncle’s roof in the long run. Don’t you think you played the game of a most ungrateful scapegrace when I first offered to take charge of you? But let me tell you this—that if you show any of your fine spirit here, I will take a leather strap and thrash it out of you, even though I cut your heart out at the same time.” - There was something so diabolically horrible in these last words, that I shuddered visibly. * Ah! I have touched you, have I?” exclaimed the humpback, with another and louder laugh, which jarred horribly upon my ears. “Take care you don’t compel me to put my threat into execu- tion. I know what you are—a seampish young fellow, fond of running atvay from people. But don’t play that trick with me—or you will get the worst of it. You must never stir out of this house unless with my permission. I shall study youz disposition well for a while; and then I shall see what I am to make of you: for of course you must look out for some profession or calling to earn your own bread in due time.” “1 can assure you, Mr. Lanover FS “ Don’t Mi. Lanover me!” he interjected with a fierce look. ‘ Call me wnele.” “ Well, uncle,’ I said, “I was going to observe that you may depend upon it I shall be only too dehguted to have an opportunity of earning my own livelihood.” “This is mere cant—humbug and nonsense!” he exclaimed, with a grin of ineffable scorn and dis- gust. “I am not the man to be deceived by fine epeeches. However, the chief and the only thi I wanted to tell you was this :—that if you take it JOSEPH WILMOQTs; OR, TITE MEMOTRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. —— -__ SC — oe into your head to run away from me, as you did trom Mr. Jukes—or if you play the truant for even a single day—I will make you repent it as long as you live. And mind! when IT do have con- fidence enough to let you go out, I will not have you renewing your acquaintance with those ser- vants at Delmar Manor. You must not go near the place at your peril will you do so! And what is more, if ever you happen to meet those Mulgraves, you will cross over to the other side, or pass them by, as if you never saw them before in your life. I will not have you eringing and hum- bling yourself by touching your hat as if you were still a page in menial service; and as they have only known you in that capacity, they will not recognise you in any other. Therefore, the best course is for you not to take any notice of them at all. Do you understand ?—and what is more, do you mean to obey? Come, speak quick — and speak truly! Speak, I say, Joseph—speak !” Mr. Lanover assumed such a fierce look, and appeared so very threatening as he fixed his half: weasel, half snake-like eyes upon me, with a cold vibrating glare, that I felt frightened; and I readily promised to fulfil his injunctions in all things. There the interview ended; and I re- turned to his wife and daughter in the front par- lour. They did not question me as to what Mr. Lanover had been saying—they doubtless feared to do so; and I did not tell them of my own accord. A few days afterwards my new clothes came home; and Mr. Lanover, having bade me pack up the page’s livery, ordered me to address it in my own handwriting to the Hon. Augustus Mulgrave, Delnar Manor, Enfield Road, Middlesex. He then sent the parcel by his servant to some car- rier’s office, to be delivered at its destination. “You see,” he said, “that I will not let you remain under the slightest obligation to these Mulgraves; and this is the way to treat them. He told me not to have any of my insolence, did he ?’—and then the humpback chuckled in his harshest and most disagreeably jatring tones. I had been a week inside the house without setting foot over the threshold, and only taking a little exercise in a small yard at the back. Mr. Lanover now told me that he thought I had got “sufficiently domesticated” to be trusted out a little ; and he bade me accompany him for a walk. We issued forth together, proceeding towards the West End. He called at three or four houses of good appearance,—desiring me on each occasion to wait for him in the street, and not to go far away from the range of view commanded by the front windows, as he should have his eye upon me. For several consecutive days he pursued the same course towards me; and then, again ob- serving that I was sufficiently obedient and tract- able, he told me I might walk out for an hour or two by myself. Thus another week passed; and finding that I always came back, he again ex- pressed his approval, and bade me take my cousin Annabel on a shopping expedition. This I gladly did; and from that day forth I enjoyed com- parative liberty,—Mr. Lanover appearing to feel that I had been put to a sufficient test, and that I no inclination to runaway. Nevertheless, easionally repeated his warnings against any our of the kind,—accompanying them with CORNIECLOO@