Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

enn - JOSEPH WILMOT ; legal steps to punish the author of the outrage I had sustained. She seized my hand—pressed it warmly—and then motioned impatiently towards the door. I snatched up my bonnet and shawl, and darted forth from the room,—more than half expecting that Six Malcolm Wayenham would be the next moment on my track. But my appre- hension was unfounded. I descended the stairs without the slightest hindrance on the part of the housekeeper, the other female servant, and the lacquey, all three of whom I encountered on my way; and I let myself out of the front door.” “ Thank heaven, you thus fortunately escaped !” I observed, but secretly wondering what after- wards transpired between Sir Malcolm and her whom he called by the name of Violet. “ Yes—I escaped,” resumed Charlotte: “and I fled away from the house with the utmost pre- cipitation. But thankful though I was at having thus regained my freedom, I was nevertheless still in a very awkward position. It was past mid- night—I was in the midst of a lonely road—the darkness hung like a pall around me—TI was full of apprehensions. Nevertheless, I hurried along, perfectly well convinced by the direction whence I had been brought in the morning, that every step was bringing me nearer to the neighbourhood in which the Lodge was situated. At length I met a peasant; and fortunately he wasa very civil man. I asked him how far it was to Myrtle Lodge: he told me three good miles from the spot where we then stood: but he gave me such ex- plicit directions how to find my way, that I did not despair of reaching my destination soon. I rewarded the man for his civility; and proceed- ing at as rapid a pace as possible, I reached the Lodge—but thoroughly worn out with exhaustion of mind and body. And now you know all.” Charlotte and I continued to discourse together for some short time longer in the garden; and when we re-entered the house, we found that Miss Dakin had taken her departure. She had gone away on foot, leaving her boxes to be sent for presently but before she set out she tried hard to obtain an interview with Lady Georgiana,—doubtless in the hope of moving her patroness tocompassion. The attempt had however proved unavailing: her lady- ship positively declined to grant her an interview, and sent her out by her maid whatsoever salary was due, calculated even to the nicety of pence. On entering the servants’ room, I received the congratulations of the cook, the lady’s-maid, and the housemaid, on the satisfactory issue of that day’s proceedings : and John Robert, with another of his usual grunts, repeated his own assurances of joy at the same result. Mr. Tiverton, immediately after the scene in the drawing-room, set off to Exeter to give infor- mation to the proper authorities, of the bur- glarious attempt which had been made at the Lodge: but as he did not think fit to offer a reward for the apprehension of the villains, nor even go to the expense of handbills or placards pub- lishing a description of their persons, the con- stables gave him little hope of being enabled to trace them out. : OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT, 117 CHAPTER XXVI. LADY CALANTHE. On the following day, Charlotte Murray sought an opportunity of again speaking to me alone; and she said, “ Joseph, I have a very agreeable duty to fulfil on behalf of my dear mistress. You have seen how slow she was to believe you guilty—how much she deplored the probability that you were so, when circumstances seemed to press heavily against you—and how unfeignedly rejoiced she was when your innocence was proved. She can well understand how painful have been your feelings, and how your spirit must have smarted under an imputation as false as it was terrible. She can likewise well understand that you must have been hurt as well as insulted at the wretched meanness of her sister and brother-in-law when speaking of recompensing you. ButI dare say, Joseph, you think that I am delivering a very long oration, and in very serious terms too, for a giddy, thought- less creature such as 1 am * Never mind your giddiness, Charlotte,’ I in- terrupted her: “you possess a good heart and good principles too: and those are the essentials.” “Well, Joseph, I don’t think that all my laugh- ing and gaiety will ever make me the worse in any one respect. But to the pomt—Lady Calanthe feels that you really do deserve some little ac- knowledgment from some quarter or another. To be brief, however, she has desired me to request your acceptance of this. If ever you should get out of place, you know, for a time—you may find it useful,” With these words, Charlotte put a bank-note into my hands: and I perceived that it was for ten pounds. “No,” I said, “I could not think for a single moment of accepting it.” “ What, Joseph!” she cried, contemplating me with amazement. ‘“ You will not take it? Come now—I give you credit for avery proper spirit and for sensitive feelings: but this, you know, is being over nice and somewhat too particular !” “ Pray don’t fancy, Charlotte, that I am giving myself any airs,’ I hastened to say; “ because of that I am incapable. Ido not however conceive that I have the faintest right or title to this evi- dence of Lady Calanthe’s bounty.” * But a person in our situation, Joseph,” urged Charlotte, “may accept such things without pre- cisely a “No,” I again inferrupted her: “I would much rather not take this bank-note.” “Why, after having prevented the house from being broken into by robbers—and perhaps all the inmates, my dear young mistress included, mur- dered in their beds “Tf Mr. Tiverton had thought proper,’ I an- swered, “to proffer a fitting acknowledgment of my services, I should have accepted it as a matter of course: ‘but from Lady Calanthe I can take nothing. She gave me her sympathy, and that was priceless above all amounts of gold. No, Charlotte—I respectfully decline to accept the note: but 1 return my sincerest gratitude for this additional evidence of generosity on Lady Ca- lanthe’s part.” —_ EeSst ElO@QO) S (Cc) in