Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 120: what you’re looking at

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JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. prove, old fellow,” rejoined Taddy, “if it wasn’t that every now and then you tumbled in with such a cleyer chap asI am. Why, you don’t seem to have two ideas of your own how to do a thing . “The fact is,” interrupted Bill Blackbeard, “1 always work best with a mate; and so although I'd been thinking for a month past to do this little bit of a job for myself, up here at the Lodge, I couldn’t exactly make up my mind 4 “ Till you fell in with me a few days ago,” added Taddy, in his sharp quick manner. ‘ Well, I hope it will turn up a trump. You are sure that when there’s a party at the Lodge, the plate is always left lying about in the pantry till next morning ?” “Yes, to be sure—I know that fast enough!” exclaimed Blackbeard. “Do you think I’ve for- got John Robert’s ways? Not meindeed! He’s sure to leaye the plate out in the pantry; and we shall have a deuced fine grab at it—cos why, these Tivertons has that old-fashioned heavy plate that turns to such good account in the melting-pot. Besides, the pantry is quite handy, as I’ve described it to you: just a shutter to break open, a couple of iron bars to take out, a vinder to lift up, and there you be!” “J have not forgotten what you’ve already told me,” observed Taddy. “But I say, during these three years since you left the Tivertons, have you never once called up here again ?” “ Never afore I came peeping about two or three days back, just to see whether John Robert was still in the placee——” “ Because, if so, you could make sure,’ added Thomas Taddy, “that according to his old habit, he would leave the plate in the pantry? Well, I hope we may get a good haul; and then sha’n’t we have done a capital day’s work! Twenty guineas a-piece in the morning for trapping and earrying off that young woman—and now all this plate 3? “Ah! wasn’t that a rum lark?” exclaimed Bill Blackbeard. ‘“‘On’y fancy a genelman as never seed the young woman afore in all his life, making up his mind in a minute to have her spirited away! But it’s just like Sir Malcolm. When I was at the Lodge, he wisited the Tivertons: he was a mere lad then, and hadn’t come into his property: but he was a wild harum-scarum sort of a feller—always running arter the gals, and not caring what sort of scrapes he got his-self into as long as he suited his own pleasures. Now, that’s the kind of chap I like to have to do with! And isn’t it a deuced handsome young woman he’s got hold of now? Iwonder whether she’s come round quite amiable or not by this time.” “Ob, of course she has!” observed Taddy. “She looked like a tradesmen daughter, or a superior kind of lady’s-maid, or something of that sort; and when Sir Malcolm Wavenham comes his palaver over her, she'll consent fast enough to ac- cept a handsome income at his hands. But what was that we heard somebody saying at the public- house this evening, when the name of Sir Malcolm was mentioned? Ah! those chaps who began to talk of the Baronet, little thought that you and me had been employed by him for such a pretty business this forenoon. But what was it they said?” ‘* Why, that he’d got a sweet young creatur’ living with him at Wavenham Park, just beyond ee — ————— Se EE EEE REE EENtEERS EERE Ee 107 Charlton—a matter of twenty odd mile off. Well, now he’s got another mistress yi “Yes: but 1 don’t think, from what he said,” observed Taddy, “that he meant to take her to the Park. But I say, while we are gossipping and chattering here, time is slipping away " * Well, it was just twelve o’clock when we sneaked into the yard,” said Bill Blackbeard; “and I don’t suppose more than half-an-hour has passed since we have been seated in this old rattle-trap. Besides, you know, we should hear the carriages driving off: for they was all a-coming to fetch away the guests as we stole through the paddock. And then too, John Robert or some- body will come very like to lock up the coachus door ? “Hark!” ejaculated Taddy. “I can hear the carriages rolling away now—the party is breaking up. I dare say it won’t be very long before we shall have to set about doimg the business. And while we are at it, you don’t think it would be worth while to penetrate farther into the house than the pantry, and see what else we can pick up p?? “ No—I had rayther not,’ replied Blackbeard. “Tt would be dangerous: for I know that Mr. Tiverton has pistols in his room. Besides, we shall get enough swag as it is, I promise you!” “Well, let it be as you say,” remarked Mr. Taddy ; “and we'll confine our operations to the pantry. But come, Bill—take another sup at the brandy-flask: for it’s getting rather cold here.” * Ah! it won’t be amiss,” observed the other ruffian: “ brandy is a good thing to keep the cold out and von’s courage ix. But I say, Tom, I was going to ask you two or three times—but I forgot it—what the deuce it was that brought you down to Exeter ?” “ Why, there is a friend of mine in London—a certain Mr. Lanover,”’ answered Taddy ; “and he’s got a little business of a somewhat delicate nature to transact with Mr. Dobbins, the haberdasher, in Exeter; and so, as he couldn’t make it conve- nient to come down himself just at this particular time, he sent me. But it’s getting so uncommon cold, I really can’t stand it. Ah, no wonder! this window’s down: we will put it up, and then it will keep out the chill.” The glass was raised accordingly; and though the conversation was continued inside the vehicle, I could catch no more of it,—merely a confused jumble of sounds now reaching my ears. But I had heard enough to give me a full insight into. the object which these wretches had in view; and I resolved, at any risk, to do my best to frustrate it. My position was however not merely a most alarming one in respect to those men, but likewise most wretched in another sense. There I lay, stretched upon the pavement of the coach-house,— the chill night air penetrating like ice-shafts through the chinks and crevices in the doors, and sweeping in with a strong current underneath them. The flag-stones themselves were sufficiently cold to benumb every limb and paralyse me com- pletely: but I was compelled to endure all this —the slightest movement on my part would no doubt lead to my destruction! If I were dis- covered, those wretches would scarcely hesitate to take my life for the purpose of ensuring their own safety. Perhaps the excitement of terrer Neeee nn TEETER REnEEE ERE EEEEREEEEEEnennn tas Saesaeaaasacaaaaaacaaacaaaaamacasaamaaaaaaacaaaacaaaaaasaaaaaa aaa OOO) SS C (0)