Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 220: what you’re looking at

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JOSEPH WIDMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. 207 ~ One of the ferry-boats from the opposite shore, | from behmd: and taking out his snuff-box, he had just touched at the landing-place of the Inch; | went on to observe, with an air of solemn stupidity, and a gentleman had ascended to the jetty, where “I remember once—it was in Glasgow, I think— he remained conversing with Lennox Venn oan | na Sell it oe ce just pea ee ra Saas for ‘a few moments: then with a bow—whic in—I was asked by my friend Saltcoats where Lennox only acknowledged by a slight and me-- lived; and when I said I lodged with the Widow thought somewhat haughty inclination of the Glenbucket in the Grass-market But I forget head—this gentleman began passing rapidly along what remark Saltcoats made [shall think of it the avenue towards the castle. As I and nculk da. abe Bri drags. rm We scat omer 7 were not more than a hundred yards at the slowly and heavily away towards a bench upon the time, I was enabled to observe that the gentleman shore, where he sat down and seemed to fall into a of whom I am speaking was quite as tall as Len- sort of stolid reverie, looking very much likea ru- nox Fam ms ma cae ri be ‘ero ae ipo ox gazing Pigie nothing. Sates a» modelled in form: but st e interval was too “Yes,” resumed Cameron, as we walked on to- great for me to distinguish his countenance. | gether ; “it will be a glorious day for everybody at “ Youwere saying just now,” Iremarked, “that |‘Imch Methglin when Mr. Lennox conducts Miss it is likely there went be eke here ai | eeciaak to the oe sae na 18 ai my Perhaps that is one of the expected visitors?” ief’s son ; and everybody loves the lef ’s Se Oh, no!” responded Cameron, with’ a some-|niece. You can judge for yourself whether she is what contemptuous, or at least indifferent air: not beautiful? That you have already admitted: “that is only Mr. Stuart, the young gentlemen’s | but she is as good as she is charming. ‘Scarcely teacher. You see, the Dominie has been super- |a day passes, + the fine pees avin she rss not annuated for the last year or two; and so this | perform some kind act. If she hears of illness in Mr. Stuart supplies his place. He comes every | any cottage, there you may be sure she goes,—be- morning at about-eleven o’clock, and stays till \stowing money and comforts, and ministering to three or four. He is a nice young man enough— | the wants of the poor in a manner truly admira- and the Chief is very kind ‘and condescending to | ble. Or else she will visit the school-house, and him: but after all he is only a teacher, you spend an hour or eta heiping to teach the know.” young children their tasks.” { did not altogether like the way in which! “ This description pleases me much,” I observed, Cameron spoke of the preceptor. It was with 4 | mentally contrasting it ina favourable manner with certain superciliousness, as if he regarded this | a few other things which my companion had dilated gentleman as a being of immeasurable inferiority — and which did ‘not please me by any means. when compared with the Chief; and I could not “I presume Mr. Lennox and Miss-Emmeline are help observing, “ Doubtless Mr. Stuart is a very | much attached to Sony sare L ; : clever man ?—and if so, high birth, rank, and| “How can they be otherwise?” exclaime riches may well unbend ‘somewhat to the nobility | Cameron. “I have already told you they were of intellect. Besides, I see that Domimie Clack- | brought up together 7am nares hee aa : mannan is treated as a friend and equal by Inch| “The very reason,” I remarked, “ why perhaps Methglin.” they should not love each other otherwise than “Ah! but the Dominie belongs to the Clack- | as brother and sister—cousins—or friends.” mannans of Clackmannanauchnish,” at once ex-| “Oh! but there is not the slightest doubt as to claimed Cameron proudly; and I could scarcely | their love,’ rejoined Cameron quickly. “The repress a smile at the importance with which he | Chief, when in a very good humour, has his joke gave deliberate utterance to that word, almost un- | about the approaching bridal ; and then you should pronounceable by my lips. “It is true,” he went | see Miss Emmeline start suddenly, and blush, or on to say, “that the Clackmannans of Clackman- | turn pale Oh! yes,” he repeated, with the em- nanauchnish have for the most part fallen into ‘phasis of settled conviction, “there is no doubt poverty—and, by the bye, the Dominie is very | thatishe loves Mr. Lennox as much as Mr. Lennox good to his poor relations—but ‘still they have got loves her. Everybody says so; and as a matter of fine old blood ‘in their veins : and so, you see, it’s | course the marriage is regarded as one so natural very different with the Dominie from what it is | and suitable, that no one has ever thought of ask- with Mr. Stuart. For if anybody asks who is | ing whether it should not take"place.” Donald Stuart, the reply must be that he is only| The reader may have seen from ‘some por- Donald Stuart; and I question whether he can lay tions of the preceding discourse, that the pride of elaim to even so much as the smallest leaf of the | birth which was cherished by the Chief of Inch paltriest family-tree that has any existence in the | Methglin, was made a subject of admiration and Highlands.” awe-felt respect on the part of his valet,—the same “Where does he live ?” TI asked, again anxious being the case with every other dependant of the to turn the conversation into a somewhat different | household—with every one of his tenant-farmers, channel. or tacksmen, as they were called—with every “ Lives ?” exclaimed Cameron. “He lodges in| shopkeeper in the villages and hamlets—and with the village yonder :”—glancing towards the pic- every labourer and hind upon his vast domain. turesque hamlet of Methglin on the opposite | Certainly, all this :pride was harmless enough in shore. | | the abstract: but ‘yet ‘methought:it had its evils, “Well, lodging and living ‘at ‘a’place,” I cried, |inasmuch as it elevated one’man high above his with a smile, “are surely one and ‘the same | fellow-creatures, and converted all around him into thing ?” ‘a species of idolators. Still this very pride on “It’s not just that,” said Dominie Clackmannan, | Inch Methglin’s part had its good effects on the who came upon us, unperceived for the moment, | other hand: for, being the lord and master of a eS eS EERNES comiclboooks.c©