Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 205: what you’re looking at

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

ST es sss ets sta eee ee [ey i) 19 in from her port-holes,—the ports themselves being closed. As there was no chequered streak of white along the ship’s sides, as is usual with vessels carrying guns—but all the exterior was one uni- form unbroken surface of black—it was no wonder that the schooner on being viewed from the land, should have utterly failed to excite the suspicion that she was armed. I beheld no merchandise: not a single bale of goods, nor sack of corn, nor crate of wine was visible upon the deck: neither were there any signs of that activity and bustle which generally prevail in traders: the entire equipment was as neat, as perfect, and in an order as good as if it were a vessel in the naval service of some first-rate maritime Power. The deck was scrupulously clean; and the smart, neatly-dressed, cleanly-looking sailors were lounging about as if they had no earthly thing to do. The officer, who at first addressed us, and who was evidently the one now in command in the captain’s absence, bowed with a sufficient politeness to me, when, followed by Cosmo, I set foot upon the deck: but he did not offer to conduct me over the vessel—he stood still, looking as if he had much rather that [ had not come thither at all. Cosmo was not how- ever the man to see me baffled in my desire to in- spect the ship—at least not without making another effort on my behalf. He addressed a few words to the officer,—who thereupon turning to me, said, “Ah! I understand you speak French? Your valet should have told me so before.” “ Yes—I speak French ?” was my answer given in the language itself. “I am very much afraid that my curiosity to view this beautiful vessel of your’s, has put you to some inconvenience or has infringed some rule = “You are an Englishman, sir, your servant has told me,” interrupted the officer,—“ and travelling in Italy for your pleasure. Is it so?” I answered in the affirmative : and methought that he eyed me in somewhat @ searching manner. “You are acquainted with Captain Notaras?” continued the officer. “Your captain can tell you the next time you see him, whether when he met with his accident, he was not assisted by an English gentleman of thename of Wilmot. Indeed, [ have just been to eall on him at the tavern yonder.” - “And why did you not ask him for a written order to visit the schooner?” was the next ques- tion. “Simply because I did not think of it at the time: my idea of visiting your vessel at all was an after-thought. But reaily, sir,” I added, somewhat indignantly, “if I could have foreseen that I should be putting you to all this inconvenience “gf ** Not another word, sir!” interrupted the officer, who was evidently hurt and chagrined at having conducted himself in a way which began to border on downright discourtesy. “I owe you an ex- planation. The fact is, Captain Notaras is very particular and will not allow strangers to board his vessel. I am now temporarily in command, it is true—but the captain is a severe man an “And you are atraid,”’ I exclaimed, “of the re- sponsibility which you are incurring by admitting me and my domestic on board? I will therefore at once, sir,” I added coldly, “retire to the boat.” “Not so!” rejoined the officer quickly: and I _ :; e JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. may observe that he was about five-and-thirty years of age, of gentlemanly demeanour, and with manners naturally polite. “I owed you an ex- planation—and have given it: I now owe you an apology for the seeming rudeness of my behaviour —and I beg you to accept it. Do me the favour to follow, and I will show you the vessel.” His manner had now become so truly courteous, and he appeared so anxious to efface whatever un- pleasant impression his former bearing might have left upon my mind, that I hesitated not to accept his invitation. “You see we are obliged to carry guns,” he said, glancing in a sort of careless way towards the carronades: “dut unfortunately, sir, there are a set of unprincipled villains belonging to our nation who do not hesitate to prey upon their fellow. countrymen as well as upon foreigners te “You mean pirates, I presume?” I interject- ingly observed. “Exactly so,” was the response. “And as we trade chiefly in the Levant or in the Black Sea e | “ But,” I exclaimed in astonishment, “ I thought the days for piracy nad gone by—and that French and English ships-of-war were always in sufficient force in the Mediterranean to keep it clear of cor- saurs ?” * Not 60, sir,” rejoined the officer. “ And then, too, those infidel rascals, the subjects of the Bey of Tunis, do not mind now and then sending out an armed ship to prey upon vessels of our nation,— just as if they bore letters of marque fully justi- fying them in pouncing upon Greek traders.” “You astonish me!” I observed. “I should have thought that the Sultan would have forced his vassal Bey to observe all suitable terms of peace towards your country.” “The Turks never will forgive us,’ continued the Greek, “for having succeeded in shaking off their yoke. But pray step down into the cabin ; and peraaps, sir, I shall be enabled to find a flask of Cyprus by way of refreshment.” The stairs leading down into the cabin, were of polished wood and had handsome brass handrails ; and the cabin itself was exceedingly well furnished with ottomans, stools, tables, carpets, draperies, &c., I must confess that fora trading vessel I was asto- nished at the evidences of luxury which now met my view. ‘The door of one of the state-rooms, or smaller side-cabins, stood open; and a glance flune therein showed me as comfortable and in- deed as elegantly appointed a couch as could be met with in an English gentleman’s yacht. The officer begged me to be seated; and he indicated a camp-stool for the accommodation of Cosmo,— who, somewhat obfrusively and inconsistently for his character of a valet, had followed us down into this cabin. I saw that the officer looked rather annoyed: but as he was now evidently bent on making an atonement for his former discourtesy, he quickly banished that expression of surprise from his countenance. A flask of wine was speedily produced, together with a filigree basket of cakes; and when the officer had filled our glasses, he poured out a third, motioning Cosmo to take it. As I looked around the cabin, I was enabled to comprehend by its shape as weil as by its position, that it did not extend completely to the stern of Giook See + (E@)