Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

152 JOSEPH WILMOT 3; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. seized with a visible uneasiness. Perhaps he had not noticed the presence of the Marquis on the theatre of our encounter in the street: or perhaps, if he had, it had never struck him that he would come forward. At all events the appearance of the Marquis was evidently most unexpected; and it was viewed by the Viscount, as I have just said, with an uneasiness that was plainly perceptible. Bestowing a friendly bow of recognition upon me, and declining the seat which the magistrate offered him within the bar, the Marquis placed himself by my side, and began to address the functionary. I saw that during this speech the young Viscount turned deadly pale—bit his lip— and gave a start as if he were inclined to spring from his chair, either to proclaim a contradiction to what the Marquis was saying, or to cut short the proceedings by avowing that he had misrepre- sented the case. The tale told by the Marquis was not long—but it was evidently impressive. The magistrate looked grave, and said something aside to the Viscount. Then the coachman was summoned forward again; and I perceived that he stammered, hesitated, and fell into guilty confu- sion, when severely questioned by the magistrate. ~ “Perhaps I have gone too far,” suddenly ex- claimed the young Viscount, springing up from his seat and addressing himself to me. “ For this affair—taken by itself alone, and apart from all circumstances of grave provocation—I perhaps owe you an apology. At the same time you must admit that I had every reason to feel bitterly against you However, the least said upon that -business here, the better—and therefore to prevent the .circumstances to which I allude from be- coming the subject of idle gossip, I hope you will consent that the present proceedings shall be quashed at once ?” I scarcely knew what answer to give: but perhaps a little feeling of pride rendered me by no means unwilling to avoid any open allusion to my antecedents ; and I therefore said, after some few moments’ reflection, “Taking your lordship’s speech in the sense of an apology for the outrage and for the wilful misrepresentation of the circum: stances, I agree that the inquiry shall here ter- minate.” The interpreter reported to the magistrate what I had just said; and the Marquis of Spoleto, turning to me, inquired, “ Are you indeed satisfied with the apolory made by the Viscount P” “Yes,” I responded : “I have no wish to push the proceedings farther—although if they had - occurred in my own native land, the magistrate himself would not have suffered them to be so hushed up after such wilful and gross misstate- ments as those made by the Viscount of Tivoli and his domestic.” “I perceive,” observed the Marquis of Spoleto, “that there is in the background some affair of a delicate nature between the Viscount and your- self, and whence his angry feelings have arisen. What that may be I do not for an instant seek to learn: but such being the case, the most pru- dential course is evidently to let the matter drop where it is.” ‘You are discharged, sir,” said the interpreter to me—thus translating the decision which the magistrate pronounced. I expressed to the Marquis my warmest thanks for the kind interest which he had exhibited on my behalf: but he cut me short by observing that he had only performed a duty; and shaking me by the hand, he took his departure. I returned to the hotel with Dominie Clackmannan and Mr. Saltcoats ; and on arriving there I experienced the utmost difficulty in prevailing on the latter gentleman to excuse me from partaking of the bowl of punch which he was firmly resolved te brew. At about noon on the following day I proceeded to inquire how the invalid young lady was getting on ; and I ascended to the Blanchards’ room. I found the mechanic and his wife seated at dinner ; and to my mingled surprise and joy I learnt that the invalid had not only completely recovered her consciousness, but that she was so much better as to be enabled to converse. It however appeared that she had said nothing which could throw any light upon her own circumstances: she had neither mentioned her name nor made any allusion to family or friends. She evidently fancied that she was indebted entirely to the Blanchards for the attention bestowed upon her, as well as for the improvements which had been introduced into her chamber: for be it remembered that she was seized with her severe illness immediately after her arrival at the house, and therefore had no time to learn who her neighbours on the same floor were, or that by their own circumstances they were utterly incapacitated from doing all she now con- ceived they had done. “But you know, sir,” added Mrs. Blanchard, “that the secret cannot be kept much longer from her: for I really have not the face to receive those warm expressions of gratitude which she pours forth in acknowledgment of bounties that my husband and I had it not in our power to bestow. What amTI todo? what am I to say? Pardon me, sir, for offering my advice: but IL really think that as you have already taken so much upon yourself, and have acted so kindly towards the young lady, you should go a step farther and endeavour to learn whether she has any friends who can be communicated with ™ At this moment the old nurse whom Mrs. Blanchard had hired to attend upon the invalid young lady, entered the room in evident agitation 5 and she said something in Italian fo the carpenter and his wife. : «“ There!” exclaimed Blanchard: “ the mischief is done—if mischief it really is. The old woman has inadvertently let drop something, although enjoined to the contrary ——” “ What has she said ?” I hastily demanded. “Very little, it would appear,” replied Blanchard, “ but still sufficient to give the young lady to understand that we are not the authors of all the bounties she has experienced, and that some young gentleman who has kept himself in the background . “ Well, well,” I hastily interjected: “ what says the young lady ?” “She is now in a feverish state of excitement,” answered the carpenter; “and the nurse fears that it may cause a relapse unless she is immediately quieted. She has put a thousand questions as te who the young gentleman is: but the nurse could give her no answer to any one of them be- cause, sir, this is the first time the nurse herself a E| OGY) <S (C(@)