Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

JOSEPILE WIiLALOT ; evident that Lady Georgiana had little expected | My. Tiverton | displayed the ring and the plate, and in a few) the deed to be brought home to me. hurried words explained how they were discovered beneath the mattress of my bed. ~* And now, John Robert,” he said, Exeter and fetch a constable.” “For heaven’s sake, mind what you are doing, sir!” I exclaimed, full of anguished horror at the “co to OR, TIME MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. i ti en 103 forcibly struck by my words and manner: while Lady Georgiana, making herself shudder visibly, clasped her hands and said, “Oh, the horrid blasphemy! Did you ever, Miss Dakin? did you ever 2” But for a wonder the toady did not answer: she was standing at a distance from the rest; and as my eyes settled upon her, methought that I read something like compassion in her looks, as I thought of being dragged away to a felon’s gaol.) had already beheld it—hbut far more unmistak- “YT am innocent—I invoke heaven to attest my ably—in those of Lady Calanthe, arerment of innocence! Oh, sir, I am friendless! “Now, my dear Mr. Tiverton,” said this excel- in the wide world—I am an orphan—I have no | lent young lady, approaching her brother-in-law relations to whom I can appeal—cireumstancees | and gazing wistfully up into his countenance, “ do, will overwhelm me—but sooner or later my inno-! pray, be guided by me. The banquet of this even- cence must be made apparent; and thew what will | ing is to be given as a weleome for my presence be your feelings as you look back upon the ruin of | here; and I beseech that it may not be marred, a fellow-creature—a ruin wrought by your hands!” “All this is useless, vile boy,” responded Mr. Tiverton, “Circumstances are indeed against you. Was he not down first in the morning ?” “ We was, sir,’ answered John Robert. | magistrate and make your deposition. * And | understand these things yery well: but such You cannot possibly dispense with your footman for two or three howrs: besides, if this lad be given into eustody, you will have to go before some I do not yet, you know, that might he an accident: for, | appears to me to be the necessity of the case, if when I recollect, he is yery often down fugt.’ “To be sure!” interjected Lady Georgisug : “to watch his opportunity to steal the plote— aad now at last be has found it)” yy Besides.” added Nii. Tivertou, the COnlUSien or Your Mauuer, Josepli. when you. fist Came into the pevlour, and when we bad so much didiculls in making you speak out and your looks up- stairs too, a few minutes back, when I drew forth the parcel from your bed yes, there can be no doubt of it! At all events I have a duty to per- form—a duty towards society—and it must be ful- filled. John Robert, be off to Exeter as quick as ever you can, and return with a constable.” * But what on earth are we to do,’ exclaimed Lady Georgiana, “about this dinner? No—John Robert cannot be spared: he has got his own work and all this vile boy’s into the bargain. We must secure him in some place—a coal-cellar, for in- stance—till to-morrow.” “ Really,” interposed Lady Calanthe, who all this time had been surveying me with the most earnest attention—this fixed scrutiny being not unmingled with a certain amount of compassion- ating sympathy,—“ really, if I were you, Mr. Tiverton, I would not be too precipitate i “ Precipitate!” he exclained. ‘Do you think, Calanthe, that there is any doubt ?” “J should certainly be sorry to say,’ she an- swered, mildly yet firmly, “that I entertain the positive conyiction of this youth’s guilt; but on the other hand, I am equally at a loss to reconcile existing circumstances with an idea of his inno- cence.” “Innocent !—he can’t be innocent! It’s im- possible !” exclaimed Mr. Tiverton. ‘ Never mind the dinner-party: we must manage as best we can. John Robert, onee more ve » Thad thrown a look of fervid gratitude upon Lady Calanthe for her humane generosity in boldly proclaiming that doubt as to my guilt; and I now exclaimed, “No, send me not to gaol! May the Almighty strike me dead at your feet if I com- mitted this deed !” The domestics looked appalled at the tremen- dous solemnity of this inyoeation: Mr, Tiverton knitted his brows with ire: Lady Calanthe seemed onee proceed ta extremes, Keep him i) sala enstedy unhl to-monecow Moving : suc vou af hien ~ Well. be ai So. saul My. VWiverton curtlhy : asd. it was evicloutly with a baal QP wiee that be yielded ro the IN1LercessLor ol his sister-la-law : for he doubtiess fell dhat it was e pole which his wife in reality gained, she having been the first to hint at the inconyenience which would be felt by send- ing John Robert away from his duties on such an occasion. Again did I fling a quick glance of most re- spectful gratitude upon the amiable Lady Calanthe : for I full well comprehended that she cared nothing about the marring of the dinner-party—but that she took this step from motives of the kindest, consideration towards myself; and probably with the idea that if the matter stood over until the morrow, it would end in my simple dismissal, and not in any harsher extreme. “ But where shall we put him for safe custody ?” exclaimed iy. Tiverton. ‘Ah, I have it! Come, John Robert—we will lock him up in the coach- house.” I was now conducted from the parlour,—again erasped by Mr. Tiverton on one side and the foot- man on the other: and thus was I hurried to the back premises, where, the yard being traversed, I was thrust into the coach-house. The door was locked, and the key taken away. Through parsimonious reasons, Mr. Tiverton had about three years back given up keeping horses: but there was an old lumbering chariot in the coach-house; and when its services were needed, post-horses were procured from Exeter. The coach-house was almost completely dark: there was no place to sit down upon; so I opened the door of the vehicle—and entering it, threw myself upon the cushions, where I burst imto a fresh agony of weeping. These tears afforded me relef. I grew somewhat calmer, and began to reflect upon my position. Even if Mr. Tiverton should not proceed to extremes, I felt that I was utterly ruined all the same unless, indeed, my inno- cence should be made apparent. But how was this to be brought about? I settled myself to the most deliberate meditation; and thoughts ee EO)