Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 242: what you’re looking at

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JOSEPH WILMOT ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. 229 indignation : for the first impression evidently was that I had been set to espy her. But that impres- sion vanished as quickly as it was formed, when I spoke those words which were sufficiently signifi- cant, and were accompanied too with a meaning glance, to show that I was warning her of Lennox Vennachar’s presence close at hand. Then her look, changing in a moment, convinced me that she un- derstood my kindness and that she thanked me for it. All that I have just been describing occupied but a quarter of a minute; and Lennox Vennachar rode past the end of the lane without turning his eyes up it; but, on the contrary, he was gazing at the moment in just the opposite direction. Then he put spurs to his steed; and the quick tramplings of the horse’s hoofs, as the animal careered through the village, reached our ears. Dominie Clackman- nan had stopped short at a distance of about twenty yards from the spot where Donald and Em- meline so abruptly parted; and as I glanced back, I perceived Mr. Clackmannan taking pinch after pinch of snuff as if in bewilderment at the scene which he had beheld. “Joseph,” said Miss Vennachar with a blush still upon her cheeks and bashful confusion in her looks, “ what must you think of me ?” “Everything that is good, Miss,’ I answered, in the most respectful manner. “You have discovered a secret, Joseph,” she went on to say, timidly and hesitatingly. “T have known it, Miss, for a long time,” was my response. “Ah!” she murmuringly ejaculated, with the air of one upon whose comprehension a sudden light breaks: for she doubtless comprehended in a moment all the past phases of my conduct. “The best proof, Miss Vennachar,” I observed, “that I have not betrayed what I knew, is that you have never had cause to believe I have given way to idle gossip or mean and cowardly scandal on the subject.” “No,” she rejoined, in a low sweet tone, in which there was nevertheless a gush of enthu- siastic gratitude: “you have endured blame and reproach Ah! I understand now all that I considered strange and mysterious in your con- duct !’—and with another look did she thank me. “But Mr. Clackmannan—how came he here at this moment ?” “I know not, Miss. From the eminence where the church stands, I saw Mr. Lennox riding along; and I hastened to warn you. Not for worlds would I otherwise have suffered you to understand that the secret was known to me! But I thought that to give you such warning was the lesser evil of the two 4 “Yes, yes, Joseph—and I thank you, sincerely thank you! And now, think not the worse of me if you hear me tell Mr. Clackmannan some tale———” She meant a tale to account for her being seen supported by the arm of Donald Stuart: but her natural feelings of maidenly shame and bashful- tence. — Ee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEeEee—e——e—eEeEeEeeee ee riveted to the spot twenty yards distant, in a sort of stolid stupefaction,—his snuff-box in one hand —and the other, as if paralyzed, about two inches from his nose, the finger and thumb holding a pinch. Miss Vennachar now approached him,—I following her at a very short distance. “Give me your arm, Mr. Clackmannan,” she said, in a sort of coaxing tone. “TI had a fall just now——” “ Tt’s just that,” observed the Dominie, at length recovering from his stupid bewilderment and re- laxing from his statue-like attitude. “I thought it must have been something of the sort: for I re- member one day, when I entered my lodging in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh, somewhat unex- pectedly, I found the Widow Glenbucket sup- ported in the arms of my friend Saltcoats; and he said what was it that he said? I shall re- collect presently Oh! that she had tripped over the rug and had knocked her face against the fen- der. I knew it must be so, because the poor crea- ture’s cheeks were so very red.” This was the longest and completest anecdote I had ever as yet heard issue from Dominie Clack. mannan’s lips; and he seemed both proud and re- joiced, but in his own stolid manner, at having achieved so great a triumph over the sluggishness of his memory. He put the pinch of snuff to his nose with one hand, the snuff-box into his pocket with the other; and then offered Miss Vennachar his arm. “You spoke of tripping over a rug, Mr. Clack- mannan,’ resumed the young lady; “but it is still more awkward to trip over a stone—as I did just now.” “ Tt’s just that,” said the Dominie; “and per- haps it was very fortunate Mr. Stuart happened to be by.” | I saw Miss Vennachar glance towards Mr. Clackmannan’s countenance, as if to discover whe- ther there was any covert irony in his speech: but i am sure that she might have saved herself any anxiety on that score—for the old Dominie was far too obtuse, and also too simple-minded as well as naturally good-natured, to have any such inten- tion. “But how was it,’ he inquired, “ that Mr. Stuart happened to be there at the instant P” “Oh! I presume he was taking a walk in that direction,” replied Emmeline. ‘“ But perhaps, Mr. Clackmannan, it would be better that you would not mention the circumstance at the castle ‘4 “ It’s just that,” interrupted the Dominie; “for the Chief might think you were much more hurt than you really are. That was exactly the case with Widow Glenbucket. I fancied she was half killed : but five minutes afterwards, she seemed as if nothing had occurred. So I said to Saltcoats What was it that I said? I shall recollect presently.” The village was threaded ; and as we were ap- proaching the jetty, Mr. Clackmannan said to me, “Now that I bethink me, Joseph, you tumbled | out of a hedge at the very instant I entered the ness would not permit her to conclude the sen- | lane.” “TI was going to gather some wild roses,” I an- This hurried dialogue between Miss Vennachar | swered; “and seeing Miss Vennachar fall, I of and myself, and which was carried on in whisper- | course jumped down to render assistance: but Mr. ing voices, occupied far less time than it has taken to describe; and the old Dominie still stood | Stuart, who happened to be walking past at the moment, anticipated me.” AHICLOOO© SS (CO) iin