Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

| a ee 95 John Robert commenced some remonstrance : but Charlotte cut him short by a good-humoured JOSEPH WILMOT ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. jest. He was compelled to yield: and so we all sat talking round the blazing fire until bed- time. On the following morning Charlotte informed us that she had obtained Lady Calanthe’s permission to go to Exeter for a few hours; and moreover, that as she was a total stranger there, and did not like to proceed alone, she had Lady Georgiana’s authority (obtained through her sister) to be ac- companied by any one of the domestics who could be best spared. “Of course you can’t go, cook—or else there would be no dinner. As for you,” addressing her- self to Lady Georgiana’s maid, “you are sure to be wanted when your mistress puts on that pre- cious old faded silk gown of her’s presently. You,” she continued, turning to the housemaid, “ have got all the rooms to do, and only one pair of hands to do them with: so I am sure you have a full week’s work all to be compressed into one short day. As for you, John Robert, the rueful- ness of your countenance is enough to give one the blue-devils. So I shall make you, Joseph,” she concluded, in her gay manner, “ the companion of my trip. I am sure I could not have a nicer little beaw ; and I shall treat you to a good lunch at the pastry-cook’s. Come—be quick—put on your best livery—and let us be off.” I was by no means sorry to avail myself of this opportunity for a holiday, and gladly assented to the proposal. I lost no time in apparelling myself in my best clothes; and when I again descended to the servants’ room, I found Charlotte already waiting for me. She was handsomely but neatly dressed,—with no flaunting display, and every- thing in good taste. “T sha’n’t forget to bring the promised pound of tea,” she said, laughing, to the other servants as we took our departure. “And now, Master Joseph,” she continued, as we emerged from the premises, “how are we to get to Exeter?—for I understand it is three miles, and I do not profess to be a good walker. The day is however fine and frosty ; and perhaps I might make the attempt.” ‘You will have to do so,” was my answer: “for I know not of any conveyance passing along the road at this hour. There is one—the carrier’s van—which leaves Exeter at about four o’clock : and by that we can return.” ‘Well, this is a consolation, at all events,” she eried, good-humouredly: “ and therefore I will resign myself to the walk into the city. By the bye, what do you think of my young mistress? is she not a beautiful creature? But I will tell you more—she is as good and amiable as she is beau- tiful.” “She appears so,”’ I observed. “Oh, yes!” added Charlotte enthusiastically, ‘you can read it upon her countenance. Heavens! what a difference between her and her sister ~—that prim, starch, insufferably proud Lady Georgiana! I never saw her before, you know: I was not in Lord Mandeville’s service when Lady Georgiana married Mr. Tiverton. That, I believe, was seven or eight years ago, when Lady Calanthe was a mere child.” “ And how long have you been in attendance upon your young mistress P” “About three years. You know Lord Man- deville married a second wife, by whom he has three daughters, of whom Lady Calanthe is the eldest. He has half-a-dozen other daughters and two sons by his first wife: so you perceive there is a perfecf swarm of them; and as his Lordship, between you and me, is not very well off, the girls are all portionless.” And are they all beautiful like Lady Calanthe?” T inquired. “The three by the second marriage,”’ responded Charlotte: “but the six by the first are absolute frights—though Lady Georgiana is decidedly the ugliest of the bunch. By the bye, that Miss Dakin is a very fitting companion——But why did you start so, Joseph ?” ' “Did I start ? Iam sure I was not aware of it —I did not mean it 2 “Well, I suppose it was nothing, then. Now, IT am not R ah quick in taking aversions; but I certainly ‘zke that Miss Dakin as little as can be. Would you believe it Pas I was descending the stairs just now, after dressing myself to come out with you, I met Miss Dakin; and you should have seen how superciliously she tossed her head as she looked at me, and appeared inclined to give herself such airs, as if she felt herself a lady and that I was only a lady’s-maid. Or I suppose it was because, with those shabby old things of hev’s, she was quite jealous to see a simple lady’s-maid having good clothes on her back. Iwas passing her, when she said, ‘ By the bye, young woman, Lady Georgiana told you that you might take one of ow servants with you:’—and she laid such stress on the owr, just for all the world as if she were the mistress, or 16 was all a partnership con- cern: and she went on to demand, ‘Pray who is to accompany you?’—‘Joseph Wilmot, Miss,’ I answered; and you should have then seen again how she tossed her head. JI did not wait to let her give herself any more of her airs; but hurried down, thinking to find you in readiness. And you were not: but you kept me waiting full five minutes—which was very shameful of you.” Here Charlotte laughed in her good-humoured way, revealing a set of the finest teeth, which very advantageously counterbalanced a somewhat large mouth. “What a dreadful place all you people appear to have of it!” she quickly resumed: for she was a terrible chatterbox. “I certainly expected to find something more cheerful. Lord Mandeville’s seat, though out in the country, as one may cail it—being at no great distance from Enfield 7? * Enfield !” I ejaculated. “Yes, to be sure—a few miles from London. Every one who knows London, knows Enfield. Ah! by the bye, what a shocking occurrence took place in that neighbourhood about eighteen months ago the murder, under most mysterious cir- cumstances, of a gentleman named Delmar.” “JT heard of it,” was the observation I now made, but in a tremulous voice. “Oh! every one who reads newspapers,” con- tinued Charlotte, “must have heard of it. It created an immense sensation.” ‘‘ And has there never been the slightest clue to the discovery of the assassins P” I inquired: and I was half inclined to tell Charlotte how painfully intimate I was with all the circumstances of the CORNIECLOOO <S) im