Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

ee es _— ee JOSEPH WILMOT; Boustead said, ‘‘ His lordship has requested me to call: you will denounce me at once.” Had Miss Euphemia been present, she would perhaps, in the spirit of gentle correction, have reminded her father that he had wrongly spoken the first syllable of the word: but he came alone, neither his wife nor daughter being with him. I hastened to show him into the dining-room,— while a footman hurried up-stairs to acquaint his lordship with this arrrival. In a few minutes the nobleman descended the stairs; and though pale even to ghastliness—as for weeks past he had been —it was nevertheless evident that he had armed himself with a certain degree of calm severity and resigned fortitude ; as if having made up his mind to proffer overtures for a reconciliation, he pur- posed to do so with a becoming dignity, and to exhibit no disappointment if they should be rejected. He entered the dining-room; and for two hours did his lordship and Mr. Boustead remain in conference together. At the expiration of that time they issued forth,—the nobleman accompanying the capitalist as far as the threshold of the hall; and as the latter entered his carriage, his lordship bowed with a sort of condescending affability. It may easily be supposed that this visit gave rise to many conjectures and speculations in the servants’ hall; and every one expressed the hope that it would lead to some great change in the present aspect of affairs. This hope did not appear to be without foundation,—when, on the following day his lordship gave orders that Mr. Ravenshill’s chamber was to be got in readiness for his reception, he being about to return to the Hall. Accordingly, in the afternoon of that same day, a postchaise-and-four drove up to the mansion; and Mr. Walter alighted. Heavens, how changed he was! Pale, haggard, and care-worn, he looked a dozen years older than when I had last seen him seven or eight months back: he was but the ghost of his former self! Lord Ravenshill, having doubtless perceived the approach of the vehicle, came down from the drawing-room to meet his son. I saw by the nobleman’s manner that he meant to embrace him: but the greeting on Mr. Walter’s part was cold and distant; and the smile which for a moment appeared upon his lip, was sickly and wan. oonw~ee CHAPTER XVIII. THE BILLET. On the following day Lady Ravenshill descended from her own chamber to the drawing-room, for the first time since the executions had been placed in the house. She also was frightfully altered,— looking pale as a spectre, and thin even to emacia- tion. She was apparelled with her accustomed elegance ; and there seemed to be a _ hideous mockery in that gay raiment clothing one whose personal appearance was so corpse-like and so ghastly. In the afternoon the Bousteads’ equipage arrived at the hall; and this time the capitalist was accompanied by his wife and daughter. Their visit did not extend beyond half-an-hour; and when they took their departure, Lord Ravenshill and his son escorted them to the carriage,—_ OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. A ee le lt LT LE COLI AT ta, 77 Euphemia leaning upon the arm of the latter. It was therefore evident that a reconciliation had been effected, and that the matrimonial project was revived. On the following day the Bousteads came again; and this time their stay was prolonged to an hour. But the men in possession were not withdrawn: they received no intimation that any change in the condition of affairs was likely to take placc: all seemed thus far enveloped in mystery. In the evening, however, of that second day of the Bousteads’ visit, Charles Linton gave me some little intelligence. “Mr. Ravenshill,” he said, “hinted to me just now that the day after to-morrow he is to be married by special license to Miss Boustead.. The ceremony will take place at the Hall, and with the strictest privacy. No guests are to be invited, beyond the actual bridal-party ; and immediately after the solemnization, Mr. Ravenshill and his bride will leave for Torquay. I am not to men- tion this to the servants generally: perhaps Mr. Ravenshill would not even have thus far made me his confidant, only that I am to accompany him,— and moreover he is evidently mindful of my con- duct towards him, when after the duel in London I besought that he would not discharge me from his service on the mere ground of his inability to remunerate me.” “Then I suppose the debts will all be paid and the men in possession will be withdrawn? Ah! I can assure you, Charles,” I went on to observe, “that I shall be: truly rejoiced to behold such a sudden change in his lordship’s circumstances.” “There can be no doubt, Joseph, that it is altogether a matter of pecuniary expediency; and that Mr. Ravenshill has consented to sacrifice him- self to save his family from ruin. Ah! it was with a ghastly look of despair that he spoke the few words which gave me the knowledge I have just imparted to you. As a matter of course, old Boustead will not part with a single shilling until he has seen the nuptial-knot tied; and therefore I suppose all the legal processes will go on just the same until the last instant,—when the capitalist will produce his money-bags. But you must not say a word of all this to any of the other ser- vants.” I promised compliance with Linton’s injunction ; and therefore with the household generally every- thing continued to be shrouded in mystery—save and except so far as conjecture enabled the do- mestics to penetrate somewhat into the new ar- rangements that were progressing. But they were very far from surmising that the intended mar- ‘Yiage was so close at hand. On the following morning their hopes of an amicable settlement of his lordship’s affairs were considerably damped, when Mr. Ridley and an auctioneer came over from Exeter to take the necessary preliminaries for the sale of the personal property, which was fixed for the third day thence. Catalogues had been already printed; and now commenced the process of affixing tickets, with numerals upon them, to every article throughout the mansion. In this service the men in possession were all included : most of the domestics were likewise called upon to help, the steward intimating that it was by his lordship’s orders, so as to prevent the myrmidons of the law from penetrating into the private EORMICLIOO <S) (E@) AA