Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 105: what you’re looking at

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92 JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. the calf of the leg. But I fancied that Mr. Tiver- ton was not exactly the gentleman to have his instructions in any way deviated from: so I ac- cordingly went down stairs, feeling however that the figure I cut was most ludicrous. In the hall I met John Robert; and as he surveyed me with a sort of sombre glumness, he suffered a low grunting groaning sound to escape him, — but whether it were in admiration or in deprecation of my appearance, I could not exactly determine. On entering the parlour, I found Lady Georgiana and Miss Dakin both seated there, in company with Mr. Tiverton,—all three solemnly and gloomily silent, and apparently bent upon holding a council as to what was to be done with the liveries. The tailor-a short, dapper-looking, little man, with a very dirty face and very bowed legs —was standing at a respectful distance, fidgetting with his measure and looking ill at ease, as a person does when not asked to sit down, nor spoken to, and not knowing exactly what to do -with himself or how to seem unconcerned. The moment I made my appearance, I saw that the countenances of Mr. Tiverton and Lady Georgiana became considerably elongated; while Miss Dakin, —who was quite prepared, as usual, to assume any look which might be a reflection of that of her patroness,—made her own face of a correspondingly hatchet-like longitude. As for the tailor, his looks brightened up considerably with a sort of grimy lustre: for he no doubt flattered himself that it would prove inevitably necessary to have a couple of new suits. “Well, for my part,” said Lady Georgiana, after a long and ominous silence, “I don’t at all see that these clothes cannot be altered to fit Joseph Wil- ‘mot. What do you think, Miss Dakin ?” “ Oh, decidedly |”? was the toady’s quick response. “They are only a leetle too small for him—a mere trifle.” “Yes, Mr. Pumpkin,” resumed Lady Georgiana, thus addressing the tailor: “I think that you myst take these suits and make them fit the lad. Tobserved to you yesterday,” she added, turning to Miss Dakin, “that Joseph Wilmot was a trifle too tall, and that it was a pity: for I had these liveries in my eye at the time.” “To be sure!” rejoined the toady: “ your lady- ship is so very far-seeing.” While this colloquy was progressing, Mr. Pump- kin began to look very rueful and very much dis- appointed: but Mr. Tiverton’s countenance gra- dually assumed a sternly resolute aspect; and then I saw him glance at his wife with an unmistakable malignity, as much as to imply that though she fancied she had settled the affair allin her own way, he would very soon teach her differently. Accordingly, rising up from his seat, he said, “ No, Mr. Pumpkin—I won’t go to the expense of having these old things done up.” “Old?” ejaculated Lady Georgiana, in horrified amazement. “Old? echoed Miss Dakin, in amazed hor- ror. “Well, worn out and shabby, then,” exclaimed Mr. Tiverton. ‘ Pumpkin, take the lad’s measure at once; and let him have a couple of new suits as quick as you can. Send him up new hats likewise, with new bands.” “This extravagance, Mr. Tiverton, is into- lerable !” said the lady, in a tone of the sternést rebuke. “ What do you think, Miss Dakin ?” “Miss Dakin will please to hold her tongue on the subject,” at once observed Mr. Tiverton. “Oh, to be sure!” said the toady, with a sort of hysterical giggle, as she likewise tossed her head indignantly. However, Mr. Tiverton was resolute. Mr. Pumpkin, infinitely rejoiced, took the measure; and I hastened up-stairs again to resume my plain clothes until the livery should come home. CHAPTER XXI. A VISITRESS. Tuxrs little incident gave me a considerable insight into the character of my new master, and showed me on what pleasant and agreeable terms he lived with his patrician wife. It was evidently a struggle between them who should be the supreme authority within those walls: but the husband failed not to seize upon any favourable opportunity of asserting his own dominant power. Though mean and stingy to a degree, he nevertheless suffered his pride to get the better of his sordidness in this matter of the liveries; and to the circumstance of his being anxious to carry out his own will in direct opposition to that of his spouse, was I in- debted for my new garments and rescued from the necessity of wearing the old shabby ones. When the liveries came home, and I put on a new suit for the first time since I had entered my place, John Robert surveyed me with visible envy; and as he cast a most rueful look over his own thread- bare and tarnished raiment, he gave vent to his afflicted feelings by means of his habitual half- groan, half-grunt. Before I properly resume the thread of my nar- rative, I must place on record a few more particu- lars relative to this family. That the meanness of my master and mistress were excessive, has already been shown; and I speedily found that it extended to the minutest details. The number of servants being so limited, the amount of work allotted to each was most onerous; and yet we never could give satisfaction: there was always something to complain about. Lady Georgiana paid & visit to the larder every morning, and appeared to mea- sure with her eyes every article of food, so as to eke it out with the nicest exactitude. She had a partiality for thin and ugly female-servants ; be- cause, as I understood, she considered that they made a household so much more respectable, inas- much as there was all the less chance of their laughing and giggling with individuals of the other sex. The whole routine of the establish- ment was regulated as it were by clock-work pre- cision; and thus it was by no means difficult to comprehend how my unfortunate fellow-servants had been reduced to mere automatons—that they laboured under a continued depression of spirits— that they were afraid of talking too loud—while anything bordering on gaiety was totally out of the question. The only reason they retained their places and did not seek to “better themselves,” was because Lady Georgiana made it a rule never to give a character with a servant who left her 0)(0Y) “S (C(O) im