Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 208: what you’re looking at

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

SS i enemies eee ee ————eEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeE ~~ Se ne ee Se ee eee ee ne) ees eee ee eee JOSicl'® WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A HMAN-SERVANT. — oO seemed to me as if life were ebbing away—a 195 { were all strangers to me, I nevertheless wept the numbness was coming upon me—the varied sounds | tears of bitterest affliction at this intelligence: of the storm lost each its peculiar distinctness— | and again did I thank heaven with fervour for and all became jumbled in one confused, bewil- dering, stunning roar. [I recollect that amidst the mncreasing confusion of my thoughts, there was one image—and one image only—which remained perfect to my mental view; and that was the image of Annabel. But.even this was separate as it were from hope: for hope was dead within me —or indeed, I had lost the power of reflecting sufficiently to judge of my exact position. All my faculties were benumbed and dying: one spark of life alone remained—and the light which it shed, reflected the beauteous image of her whom I adored. Suddenly I was startled as it were from this palsy of the senses, by the sound of a human voice. All in an instant life sprang up within me again; and as I was borne to the summit of a billow, I beheld a boat ata little distance. It had one small sail set; and methought that a man who stood up in the stern, held a kerchief, or something of the sort, as if to assure me that sucecour was at hand. To be brief, in less than another minute I was safe in that boat; and so strong was the revulsion of feeling within me—so wondrous appeared the transition from ineffable peril to the consciousness of security—that I tainted. When I came to myself, the boat was alongside of a large two-mast ship; and I was soon on the deck of this vessel. The honest weatherbeaten countenances which bent over me, were full of kindness, and expressive of congratulation at my marvellous escape: but when the voices of those mariners addressed me, it was in a strange tongue which I could not understand. Nevertheless, with my looks did I endeavour to express some portion of the boundless gratitude which filled my soul; and at the same time I breathed a prayer to heaven in thanksgiving for this wondrous deliver- ance. I was borne down into the captain’s cabin: my dripping clothes were stripped off me—clean linen was provided—I was put to bed—and cor- dials were administered. Utterly worn out in mind and in body, I speedily sank through sheer exhaustion into a profound sleep, which lasted for several hours. I awoke comparatively refreshed : food was given to me; and bemg enabled to par- take of it, I felt stronger. The captain understood a little English, and eould speak it sufficiently, though with broken accents, to make me comprehend him. He gave me to understand that it was a Dutch brig which had thus taken me on board, and that it was bound for Rotterdam. I trembled to inquire relative to the ship in which I had sailed from Blackwall: but my looks doubtless expressed a fearful cu- riosity—an awful interest—mingled with a pro- found dread to hear the worst. For the kind- hearted Dutch captain, with tears in his eyes, gave me to understand that it had gone to pieces before his boats could get near enough to render any assistance—that not a soul had been picked up— and that it was not a mere matter to apprehend, but was a pésitive unmistakable certainty that every being on board the ill-fated vessel had perished,—myself beimg the only survivor of the catastrophe. Though the unfortunate creatures haying spared me. CHAPTER XL. SCOTLAND. I pip not think it necessary to explain to the Dutch captain any details of those circumstances under which I had found myself on board the vessel that was lost. The reader is well aware that I had particular motives for sparing Mr. Lanover as much as possible, no matter how bitter and rancorous his persecution against me might be: for I was willing to endure any martyrdom, and able to stifle any feelings of resentment, for the sake of Annabel. I therefore merely gave the captain to understand that I was an emigrant on board that ship; and that now my most anxious wish was to get back to England with the least possible delay. He of course supposed that I had lost everything which I might have had on board with me; and I did not choose to confess that I was really ignorant whether I had anything on board to lose. But still I felt tolerably well assured that Mr. Lanover had not failed to supply asea-chest, with the requisite outfit,in order to give a colour to the pretences under which he had put me on board and placed me under the lost captain’s care. The Dutch skipper, who was a warm-hearted man, bade me keep up wy spirits; for that on arriving at Rotterdam, something should be done for me to enable me tw get to England ;—and again did I thank him for his goodness towards me. To be brief, Rotterdam was reached in due time, and without any farther adventure deserving particular notice. On our arrival, the captain took me to his own home, where I had the pleasure of witnessing the joyous meeting between himself and his family, consisting of a buxom wife and four or five children, who were all delighted at his return: for he had been absent three years, his ship having been on a voyage to Java. He insisted that I should remain with him a few days, so as thoroughly to recruit my strength: I could not possibly refuse the generous invitation ; and I was treated with the utmost hospitality and kindness. After the captain had got over the press of busi- ness and all the details of the’ bustle attendant upon his arrival in port, he had some little leisure to question me more closely than he had hitherto done, in respect to my circumstances, wishes, and prospects. JI then explained to him that I had friends in Scotland, whom I was desirous of join- ing, and with whom I should find a home: for I was of course resolved to go to my situation at Inch Methglin. The captain, upon hearing that Scotland and not England was in reality my des- tination, at once informed me that he had a friend commanding a trading-vessel which was about to sail for Dundee, and on board of which he could procure me a free passage, and welcome. I joy- fully accepted the proposition; and the captain not merely bought me everything requisite in the shape of changes of raiment, but even insisted that ElOOO <S ECO im