Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

JOSEPH WILMOT 3 OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. “Listen to me for a few minutes,” resumed Hanaris. “Love in this world appears to me to be so like a dream—so like a visionary glimpse of paradise, as it were—that I cannot help treating it as such. Yes—and I am thereby led to assimi- late it unto the dreams which we experience during our sleep. Have you never fancied in your slum- ber that you have been rambling in a beauteous garden—a soft sunlight playing upon the orna- mental waters—setting forth the loveliest colours of all the flowers—and giving an effect to the trees as if gems were the fruitage of every bough? Then, has it not appeared to you as if some angelic form were advancing along the walk,—her white and azure robes floating gracefully around her— smiles upon her lips—a sunny glory upon her hair —and her alabaster feet glancing as with elastic tread she seems to trip airily between the parterres of flowers? Then, have you-not felt transports of love and bliss and hope in your heart? and it has appeared to you that you went swiftly to meet the advancing beauty whose arms were already ex- tended to welcome you in the fondest embrace ?P But then all of a sudden it has seemed as if your _ limbs grew heavy as lead: vainly have you sought to drag yourself forward—the sunny light of the garden has changed as abruptly into a gloom which goes on deepening and deepening—a yawn- ing gulf suddenly opens at your feet—you find yourself separated for ever from the angel-presence on the other side of the chasm—and the next moment the black darkness of night falls upon the entire scene, entombing yourself, the fair one, and your own hopes beyond redemption! Yes—I have had such dreams as these, even if you have not; and it is to such that I cannot help assimilating the love which the heart bears for the living beauty of this world!” It was now my turn to gaze with mingled astonishment and interest: and I did not once take my eyes off the countenance of my companion while he was speaking,—that countenance which expressed as it were an animation mournfully seri- ous and singularly solemn. It would be impossible to describe the effect which his words produced upon me—and all the more so inasmuch as his language, filled with the loveliest flowers of metaphor, flowed with the richest and most tuneful harmony, as if it were that of the River Pactolus rolling between its own fabled shores of gold. But I could not help compassionating Constantine Kanaris: for I fancied that his love in its very enthusiasm had _ Boared out of sight of all the ordinary rules by which the world’s circumstances are governed—or that it had even become poetized into a morbid sentiment. JI reasoned with him on the subject: but I will not inflict upon the reader the lecture of which I thus delivered myself. Constantine listened with an earnest attention and with the deepest interest: but still I saw that he was not altogether convinced—though he evidently strug- gled to satisfy himself that my view of the subject was the correct one. There was now a pause in the discourse,—during which we each remained absorbed in our own re- flections: for I thought of my beloved and beau- teous Annabel—while he no doubt was contem- plating the image of the object of his own devo- tion. ee eS ee ee - —_-_-_. Oreo eee Sees eee eee ee Ce OS ae eDsea=e—_>r>-rwr waa ss S50 90. 181 Vecchia?” at length inquired Constantine Kanaris, suddenly awakening from his reverie, and speaking with his wonted cheerfulness once more,—as if he sought to turn the conversation into another channel. “Tam totally at a loss how to answer the ques- tion,” I observed: “for the business which takes me thither is one in which I do not altogether see my way clear and, in a word, so much depends upon circumstances!” For the reader may easily understand that though I had conceived a friendship for the Greek —and all the more so after that interesting though melancholy explanation of his feelings—yet I did not choose to enter more deeply into personal matters with a mere stranger—for such in reality he was tome. Besides, to have given any expla- nations at all, would have necessitated the recital of many incidents of my life, as well as to speak of the affairs of others: for instance, how I came to know Lanover and Dorchester—who they were —why Lanover had his own reasons for seeking to coerce Sir Mathew Heseltine—who Sir Mathew himself was—the circumstances under which I was travelling on the Continent—and a variety of other particulars into which I had no inclination to enter. “T hope that we shall see each other often at Civita Vecchia,” observed Constantine Kanaris, “ during your residence there. If you mean to stay at an hotel 4 “ That likewise depends upon circumstances,” I answered : “ for though I am the bearer of a very kind letter of introduction to a gentleman at Civita Vecchia, yet I am not sure whether I shall stay at his house e But at this moment my remarks were cut short by a spectacle which attracted the attention of us both. I should observe that the greater part of the distance from Rome to Civita Vecchia was already accomplished—the horses had been changed two or three times—and we were within ten miles of our destination. A turning in the road had suddenly revealed to us a horseman who appeared to be engaged in a somewhat perilous strife with the vicious animal which he bestrode. The horse was rearing right up at the instant this spectacle burst upon our view ; and its rider, evidently more daring than experienced, was thrashing the animal unmercifully, as well as tugging hard at the bridle. The next instant he pulled the horse completely over ; and it fell heavily upon him. The postilions of our chaise reined in their horses in a moment: Kanaris and I sprang forth. The animal which had done the mischief, lay in apparent helplessness across its late rider’s thigh : we therefore had some trouble in extricating him with suitable gentleness from his perilous position : for he shouted out something in a language which I could not understand, but which was at once familiar to the ears of Kanaris—who said to me rapidly, “ He tells us that his leg is broken !” We at length succeeded in drawing him from under the animal, which itself was so much in- jured that it could not rise up; and Kanaris, evidently well experienced in all matters regard- ing horses, speedily discovered that the poor brute’s spine was broken. After exchanging a few rapidly uttered words with the disabled “Do you purpose to make a long stay at Civita | stranger, Constantine said “ He agrees with me SS i OOO) cS (c@) im