Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 228: what you’re looking at

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

JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. And true enough, Emmeline was at the moment emerging from the lane at a little distance, Oh, how I trembled lest Mr. Stuart should be near at hand !—for Lennox immediately flew towards her, —I waiting till they came,up. She took his arm; and though I did not hear what were the first words he uttered, yet as they advanced quickly, I caught the latter part of what he was saying. “The Grahams and the Campbells—every one of them—thirteen or fourteen in all! How pro- vyoking that you should have been absent just at that time! But where have you been up that lane? It’s a couple of miles to any house in that direction “The Grahams and the Campbells did you say?” exclaimed Emmeline, in a visible’ flutter and trepidation, the reason of which I could full well conjecture, but which her cousin doubtless attributed to the excitement produced by his an- nouncements: at the same time she threw a quick look upon me—a look that segmed to imply that she could not for the life of her understand my own conduct. . ™Yes—the Grahams and Campbells,” exclaimed Lennox ; “and as I just told you, Joseph said that you had a number of calls to make after you left the school-house, so I really began to be afraid that I might not speedily fall in with you. But where have you been, Emmeline dear ?” “The Grahams and the Campbells!” she ejacu- lated, evading as much as possible the question he had twice put. “I hope my uncle is not an- noyed But no, he cannot be, when I reflect : for it was by his express wish that I came to the school-house this afternoon.” The cousins continued discoursing during the rapid walk to the boat-house,—I following at a short distance; and though Lennox repeated his question three or four times more, as to where Emmeline had been, she avoided any definite re- sponse. I understood her well: she would not condescend to a downright falsehood—and she could not possibly tell the precise truth. The ferryman’s house was reached; and when Lennox had handed his cousin into a boat—I still re- maining in attendance upon them, and-therefore accompanying them—he again said, “ But where had you been, Emmeline? I have asked you a dozen times, and you have not yet told me.” “TI took a walk, Lennox,” she replied, dropping her handkerchief, and hastily stooping to pick it up again—a very favourite expedient with young ladies who are not only in love, but also in a dilemma. “Then how was it, sirrah,” exclaimed my young master, turning haughtily and angrily round to me, “that you were not in attendance upon Miss Vennachar? I understood from the Chief that you received the most positive orders to attend upon Miss Vennachar. is “I confess, sir,” was my prompt answer, given with an air of frank contrition, “that I loitered at a shop-window—and losing sight of Miss Ven- nachar, knew not in which direction 4 “ Enough, sirrah !”’ interrupted Lennox, sternly. “Take care that this does not happen again—or else-you may pay dear for your loiterings. The next time you choose to lounge at a shop-window and commit such gross, culpable, almost insulting negligence, you shall be at once discharged.” ———, ——. -- rr ED 215 “Really, Lennox,” said Emmeline, who had flung a look of bewildered amazement upon me— for less than ever was it possible for the young lady to understand my conduct in thus thrusting my- self forward as a scapegoat to relieve her from the embarrassment into which her cousin’s questions . had thrown her: but still blended with that look, there was an expression of thankfulness, as if she were smitten with the conviction that she had something to thank me for, though she scarcely knew why or what,—“ really, Lennox, you are too severe upon poor Joseph r “Severe, Emmeline?” he interrupted her, in a tone of haughty surprise: “severe with a menial who disobeys orders ?”—and then he made an im- perious sign, as if it were stretching condescen- sion much too far to'speak another word upon the subject. The Inch was reached; and the two cousins hastened on to the castle, I following at a respect- ful distance. When the steps of the portico were gained, Miss Vennachar glanced towards me in a manner which expressed thanks,—it might be for having merely attended upon her—it might be on account of that something for which she possibly felt she had to thank me without being enabled to comprehend the motives of my conduct. The castle was again crowded with guests; and for several days there was no renewal of Miss Em- meline’s visits to the village school-house. The time was passed in gaieties of all descriptions— riding-parties, fishing-parties, and boating- -parties —sumptuous banquets, and balls in the evening. Additional visitors came; and at one time there was not less than two dozen guests beneath the hospitable roof of the Chief of Inch Methglin. All these families were accompanied by domestics of their own; and thus we were as gay and lively in the servants’ hall as the company were in the oak-panelled banqueting hall or the gilded draw- ing rooms. At length the guests began to take their departure; and at the expiration of a fort- night there was a lull once more at Inch Meth- glin. I should observe that for the first few days after the scene in the boat, Mr. Lennox was haughtily distant and sternly frigid in his de- meanour towards me,—uttering his commands with the air of one who exercised empire over a slave; and were it not for the peculiar circum- stances under which I had provoked his resent- ment—or rather had chosen to make myself a scapegoat—I should have given notice to leave my situation. But I was anxious, for the lovers’ sake, to avoid the chance of fixing his recollections upon the incidents of that afternoon; and as he was naturally generous—though his feelings were warped by pride and by the habit of command —his sternness towards me gradually wore off. Besides, I was in all other respects well pleased with my place: I was anxious, too, to watch the progress of a love affair, in which I had become more or less an assisting party; and it also was in my thoughts that eventualities might arise in which I could possibly render still farther suc- cour. I had conceived a veritable attachment for Donald Stuart: every time he saw me, he spoke with the greatest kindness; and since the last- mentioned affair at the village, it had struck me that he also in his turn longed to askame some question—but that he dared not put it. OOO) cS co im