Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

. ws eg JOSEPH WILMOT ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. ~ sll ~ “Give me little Josepb, Calanthe,’ I said; |exclaimed Shackleford, now grasping me in his “and you will be enabled to walk all the more quickly.” | E took the infant in my arms: we hastened away—skirting that same extremity of the planta- tion where we had just clambered the palisades : but scarcely had we reached the angle, when whom should we, behold leisurely walking along, but Mr. Shackleford! A ery of terror escaped Calanthe’s lips; and Shackleford, with an ejacula- tion of mingled rage and astonishment, bounded towards us. “Run, Calanthe—run!” I cried: “and if he overtakes us, it will be a fierce struggle between him and me!” . . a . . Calanthe uttered a few words expressive of re- newed confidence; and we sped across the heath, —Mr. Shackleford in full chase. He called after us—at one moment commanding, at another en- treating that we would stop—now menacing me with all the rigours of the law—the next instant offering me bribes—twenty—fifty—a hundred guineas—to restore ‘him his prisoner. But -I heeded him not; and we held on our course. In this manner more than half the distance towards the hill was accomplished—that hill. behind which the chaise ought to be in waiting. .I glanced over my shoulder: Shackleford was gaining upon us. I myself could easily have outstripped him: but Calanthe could not run so fast. She was already breathless ; and seeing that she could not hold on, I stopped short. Restoring the infant to her arms, TI said, “ Hasten you on to the other side of the hill—get into the post-chaise—and drive to High Wycombe. tioned that place, as it was the first that- came ars head, and was suggested to me by the re- sllection of having heard Mr. Henley speak Of ‘#. . a i sae - Calanthe—who was all obedience to my will— flung upon me a look of ineffable love, and sped onward: while I turned to confront Mr. Shackle- ford, who now came up to the spot, full of rage, and the perspiration pouring down his cheeks. “ Bar not my way, Joseph,” he exclaimed: “ or I will do you a mischief !” “You shall not pursue that lady ” I said in a resolute voice: and I clutched him by the “What! you dare. assault me?” he cried, making a motion as if to deal me a blow: but thinking better of it, he let his arm slowly drop again. - “No—I do not assault you: but I stand: be- tween you and a young lady whom you have held captive against all law; justice, and right.” “Unhand me!” exclaimed Mr. Shackleford, making a desperate effort to release himself: but I held him fast, and compelled him to remain. “You will get yourself into a terrible scrape, infamous fellow that you are!” he said, his lips white and quivering with rage. ‘I will give you into custody for decamping with my liveries!” “See!” I answered, pointing to the bundle which lay upon the heath: “there are my plain elothes— and your livery would have ‘been, re- turned to you, as it still shall be, by some con- veyance. As for giving me into custody, you must find a constable first !” “T will keep you here till assistance comes !” I will join you there !”—for I men- turn. . , “ Well; do so,’ I said, glancing over my shoul- der; and to my satisfaction I perceived that Calanthe was far distant. “You talk about giving me into custody: what if I were to pro- ceed to the first magistrate and denounce you as one of. the most lawless usurpers of individual rights that the whole country contains ?” “Come, Joseph, let us not quarrel,” said Mr. Shackleford, evidently alarmed by this threat. “TI will give you two hundred guineas if you suffer me to speed at once and bring back that lady.” “ Not if you offered me two thousand or two million !” I exclaimed, with indignant vehemence. “ But what in heaven’s-name shall I say to those who placed her with me?” “Say what you choose!-. It shall not be my fault if you ever have her in your power again. And now,” LI continued, by no means sorry to keep him thus engaged in discourse, and afford Calanthe ample time for flight,—“and now you may learn, if you will, that from the very first moment I knew that there was a captive within your walls, I yearned to liberate her—and from the instant that I saw her, I resolved to do so.” “ Do you know who she is ?” asked Shackleford eagerly. - “Yes,” I responded; and I gazed steadily in his face, to ascertain by his looks. whether he also was acquainted with her name and family: but I at once saw that he wasnot. - -- | ‘Tell me who she is, Joseph ?” he cried: “for now that you have set her free, I must communi- cate with those who consigned her to my charge.” “That is a secret which you will not learn from my lips :’—and all this while my grasp was firmly fixed upon hin. . He remained silent for a few moments, glane- ing around as if in search of succour: but none was nigh. TI too glanced around—and Calanthe was no longer in sight. . “By heaven, I will not be treated thus!” sud- denly ejaculated Shackleford; and with clenched fist he aimed a violent blow at my face. . I evaded it; and at the same instant hurled him to the ground, placing my foot upon his | chest. ‘ - . _ © Help !—robbers! help ! help !—murder !” cried Shackleford; struggling to get up. . Now, if you dare go on thus,” I said, speaking with resolute sternness, “I myself will shout for help—but it will be to convey you into the pre- sence of a magistrate, to whom you must account for your lawless conduct in becoming that young lady’s gaoler. She has committed no crime that she deserved a prison-house: her intellects were not impaired—nor have you a license to keep a mad-house.”’ - Shackleford had ceased bawling forth for suc- cour; and as some minutes had elapsed since Calanthe was no longer visible, I concluded that she had by this time gained the post-chaise. Suddenly snatching up my bundle of clothes, I darted away at full speed across the heath— reached the hill—gained the opposite side—and ‘caught a glimpse of the post-chaise just as it was turning the angle of a grove of fir-trees about half a mile distant.- “ Calanthe is safe!” I said to myself: and then ElO@QO) ‘S é (0)