Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 56: what you’re looking at

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JO3F2H WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. 43 estate. There was afne stud of horses, and four j occasions numerous carriages from all the adjacent or five catriage-equi ,ages. Indeed, my first im-| country-seats rolled up to the dwelling. There pressions in respect to the Ravenshill family were | were moreover generally a dozen visitors stay- that they must be possessed of almost illimitable | ing at the house; and I used to think that the wealth. I had frncied that Mr. Delmar’s esta- | Ravenshill family maintained a sort of regal mag- blishment was a “very fine one: but it was literally | nificence. On fine days, shooting-parties, fishing- insignificant in comparison with the extent of that | parties, and riding-parties were formed: but if into the midrt of which circumstances had so | the weather were inclement, all kinds of amuse- singularly th own me. The utmost profusion | ments and recreations were devised for in-doors, crowned the tables in the servants’ hall; and/ The gentlemen lounged in the billiard-room— every day ve banquetted upon luxuries. Never- | private theatricals were got up—and at night the theless, I).ad not been long imstalled in my new festivities were maintained till a very late hour,— situation, oefore my mind gradually began to open | sometimes till the morning was far advanced. At to the ¢ mviction that there was a certain under- | first I wondered how the entertainers and the en- current of discontent amongst the domestics,— tertained could stand so much dissipation and Sometiyies expressed by gloomy and disappointed gaiety: but my experiences during my career of looks- -sometimes in whisperings amongst three or servitude have shown me that the effects of those four together—and at other times in louder | pursuits soon make themselves apparent in the gtrmblings; but the nature of which I did not pale and haggard looks of the male sex in high at first comprehend. | life, and in the prematurely fading beauty amongst I must now observe that on the verge of the the ladies: so that there is no wonder if succe- estate, about two miles from the mansion, there | daneous arts and cosmetics should be so profusely was situated a beautiful picturesque little village, ‘had recourse to, in order to conceal the ravages taking its name from the domain, and therefore | committed by heated rooms, late hours, luxurious called Charlton. From the back windows the ivy- | feeding, and the incessant recurrence of exciting covered tower of the ancient church could be dis- | and wasting pleasures. tinguished above the trees; and through an open-|' The Hon. Mr. Walter’s principal valet was a ing in that embowering grove, a quaint old-| man about thirty years of age—good-lookmg— fashioned dark-red brick house, forming the | and of very smart appearance. He was always parsonage, might be discovered. The stream | genteelly dressed in black, and was scrupulously flowed through this village, and turned a water-| neat in his person. I became a favourite with the mill in the immediate vicinage. The nearest town | domestics generally: but this man, whose name was about three miles from the Hall; and it| was Charles Linton, took a particular fancy to appeared that the Ravenshill family were accus-| me, and treated me with considerable kindness, tomed on the Sunday to visit one of the churches | Sometimes when we had a leisure hour, he would in this town, and not that in the village of Charl-| invite me to ramble out with him; and as he ton. ~I afterwards discovered that this was because | himself had received a tolerably good education, his the clergyman of the yillage,—having for the most | discourse was something above ordinary common- a humble congregation, chiefly consisting of | place style. I should observe that he was one rustics,—felt himself bound to adapt his discourse | of the valets who had accompanied the family to their powers of comprehension; and as a|down from Ravenshill House near Richmond; simple sermon did not suit the high and lofty | and therefore he was aware of the sudden manner notions of the Ravenshill family, they had for a | in which I had been introduced into his lordship’s long time frequented the town-church, where there | service. But hitherto he had never spoken to ‘Was a very eloquent and fashionable preacher. |} me on the subject,—though from two or three Perhaps, also, Lord and Lady Ravenshill, puffed | words which he had occasionally let drop, it was up as they were with aristocratic pride, were better | apparent that he was not altogether unacquainted pleased to display their grand equipages before | with the mysterious incidents of that memorable the towns-people than in the eyes of the rustic | night. I should likewise add that he was one of villagers; and moreover her ladyship’s superb | the few servants on whose part I had not noticed toilet would have been altogether thrown away | any of those whisperings and grumblings, and upon the latter—while it was certain to make a/| that air of discontent, which I had perceived in due impression upon the former. And then, too, | respect to the great majority. Though thoroughly on coming out of church, there was the meeting | good-natured, he was indeed somewhat reserved ; with other nobility and gentry having country- and was in the habit of speaking more to me seats in the neighbourhood, and likewise frequent- | than to any other of his fellow-domestics. ing that fashionable church. As forthe domestics,| One afternoon, when we had been about a they also had their pew at the same town-church; month at the Hall, we were strolling together and a sort of light and elegant omnibus-van con- | along the bank of the stream. There was a pause veyed thither on the Sabbath those whose turn it | in the conversation which had hitherto been going was to go to church. For in this respect her|on; and the silence was pfesently broken by ladyship was excedingly particular,—no doubt that | Charles observing, with a somewhat significant the number of her domestics thus regularly at-| look, “Your wages were due to-day—weren’t tending, should likewise make its impression upon | they, Joseph ?” the towns-people, and enhance the pomp, osten-| “Yes,” I answered: “but I had quite forgotten tation, and ceremony which characterized all the | all about it. I suppose I must apply to the proceedings of the Ravenshill family. steward———” Immediately after our arrival at Charlton, a| “Iam very much afraid,” interrupted Charles, round of gaieties commenced at the Hall. There | “that it will be precisely the same as if you had were dinner-parties three times a week, on which | continued to forget it :’—then seeing that I gazed eCOmmcoaoolks (Cc) im