Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 315: what you’re looking at

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

302 the following day, as he wished to speak to me on some matter of importance. The note indicated the hours at which visitors might call according to the prison-regulations ; and I need hardly add that my mind was at once made up to comply with the request. But what could its object be P—and was it the initiative step towards the development of those mysteries that for some years past had seemed to hover likedark clouds around my destiny P I have said that Dorchester’s note was delivered to me shortly after the dessert was placed upon the table at which I was dining with my two Scotch friends. Not many minutes had elapsed after the reception of the note, when the door of the coffee- room opened, and the Karl of Eccleston made his appearance. He held a letter in his hand—which he gave to the waiter with some instructions ; and I comprehended Italian just sufficiently to un- derstand that his lordship was desiring the waiter to despatch the note to its destination by the hotel-porter. The Harl was about to quit the room, when happening to glance towards our table, he recognised me. I perceived in an instant that a certain degree of trouble seized upon him, and that an expression of annoyance passed over his countenance: but quickly regaining his self: possession, he hastened to accost me. “Mr. Wilmot,” he said, taking me by the hand, “TI did not expect to find you here. I presume that you are still travelling about for your recrea- tion P” “Not exactly, my lord,” I answered: and then fixing a significant look upon him, I added ina lower tone, “ You can scarcely be at a loss to con- jecture the business which on this occasion has brought me to Florence.” “‘Yes—I have heard that your evidence was needed Bnt would you favour me with a few minutes’ private conversation?” asked the Earl, thus suddenly breaking off from the former por- tion of his speech. “Certainly,” I responded: and then turning to my two friends, I begged them to excuse me fora brief space. The Earl of Eccleston did not conduct me to the private suite of apartments which he and the Countess occupied in the hotel: but he desired the waiter to show us to a room where we might con- verse together for a few minutes. The waiter at once complied ; and again was I alone with the Earl of Eccleston. He now appeared to be at first seized with embarrassment, as if scarcely knowing how to open the private conversation which he desired to have with me ; and I was re- solved to wait for whatsoever he might have to say. He looked at me anxiously, as if seeking to judge by my looks whether there were anything more in my mind than he had as yet fathomed : but I maintained a demeanour which was out- wardly calm, though inwardly I was much agi- tated by a variety of conflicting thoughts. “ Are you staying at this hotel?” inquired his lordship, at length breaking a silence which was too awkward for him to maintain any longer. “No,” I answered: “I am staying with the Count and Countess of Livorno—and I am here, at this hotel, simply as the guest of those gentle- men in whose company your lordship saw me.” “And do you purpose to make a long sojourn in Florence?” inquired the Earl. JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. “Tt depends upon circumstances, my lord,” I rejoined. “And those circumstances?” he said, with a perceptible anxiety in his tone. “YT cannot have the slightest hesitation,” I an- swered, “in explaining what they are. I haye received a note But here it is.” I produced Dorchester’s letter: the Earl snatched it from my hand with some degree of avidity; and as he hastily ran his eyes over its contents, I saw that the colour left his cheeks, and for a few in- stants he became exceedingly pale. Then he seemed to reflect profoundly for nearly a minute; and at length he said, “Is there nothing else which will detain you in Florence ?” . “ Although I might, as a matter of course, dis- pute your authority thus to question me,” I said,— “especially as you asked me to accompany you hither for the purpose of private conversation, which I might naturally suppose was to assume the shape of communications to be made, and not of questions to be put—yet will I again satisfy your curiosity. It is my purpose, Lord Eccleston, to see Mr. Dorchester to-morrow—and also to see - Mr. Lanover to-morrow. For something tells me that the time is now at hand when all those mys- teries which have hitherto enveloped me, and which have shrouded the principal circumstances of my life, are to be cleared up. I have already ascertained, beyond the possibility of doubt, that Lanover is no¢ my uncle, as he so often repre- sented himself to be uf “Not your uncle, Joseph?”’—and the Earl literally staggered as if stricken by a blow, when I made this announcement. “T mean what I say, my lord,’ I answered firmly and emphatically: “Lanover is not my uncle! And I thank God for it. I should shudder indeed at the idea of being so closely connected . with such a wretch. But it becomes ali the more interesting fo me to discover wherefore he ever played the part of a relative towards me—at whose instigation and for what purpose he made his appearance in the first instance at Delmar Manor to assert a kinsman’s claim upon me and to exercise a kinsman’s authority over me. Situated as he now is, I can scarcely suppose that he has any longer an interest in concealing from my knowledge those circumstances which led him to perform the part of a tyrant and a persecutor under the guise of a kinsman Unless indeed, my lord,” I added, bending upon the Earl a look of mingled significancy and earnest appeal, “ you yourself consider that the time has now come when your hand may lift the veil? For that you can liftit, there is no more doubt in my own mind than that I am now standing in your presence.” The Earl listened to me with a sort of troubled and anxious attention: once or twice his lips wavered and he made a gesture as if about to in- terrupt me—but he did not. When I had finished speaking, he slowly turned aside—bent over the mantel-piece, with his hand supporting his head— and remained for two or three minutes thus buried in profound thought, At length he raised his countenance ; and looking towards me, said in a low tone, “ How learnt you the intelligence which you have just imparted P IT mean, what reason have you for supposing that Lanoyer is not really your uncle ?” 6S OOO) Cc (0)