Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 385: what you’re looking at

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

3872 ness A’as, alas,—poor Calanthe !’’—and the tears again trickled down my cheeks. ‘ Methought you all along loved Annabel, Jo- seph,” said Mr. Lanover: and I fancied there was a covert malignity in his accents, though he tutored | his look to assume an expression of reproach. “Yes—you gave me to understand as much on that day when we met in Aldersgate Street: but it would appear that your heart belonged to Lady Calanthe Dundas.” No, Mr, Lanover!” I said, mournfully yet firmly ; “I loved not Lady Calanthe as she loved me—and perhaps as such love deserved to be re- ciprocated. But, Ah! speaking of Annabel 4 “Why mention you my daughter’s name thus abruptly ?” inquired the humpback. “Your daughter, sirP She is not your daughter!” I emphatically responded,—“ except so far as your marriage with her mother 7 ‘Who told you this?” he demanded, his hideous countenance suddenly darkening with rage. “Then you know not what has occurred?” I said. ‘“ Butno!—of course you know itnot. You quit your home without indicating whither you ! vision would be kept over her. are going; and thus if anything grave and serious occurs, those you leave behind have no means of | accepted the engagement. I came over to France. communicating with you. But on your return to London you will find letters of importance awaiting you in Great Russell Street ra “* Letters of importance ?”’ repeated Mr. Lanover, studying my countenance earnestly: “ from whom? You evidently know something-————teli me what it is, Joseph !” I reflected for a few moments; and so far from seeing any harm in making certain communica- tions to Mr. Lanover, I thought it better to do so, as I well knew that Sir Matthew Heseltine was anxious to correspond with him in order to settle some terms according to which he would consent to be separated from his wife, and leave her and Annabel entirely unmolested in the new home which they had found. “ Yes, Mr, Lanover,” I said, “ very important things have recently occurred. Your wife is reconciled to her father.” “Reconciled to her father?” humpback, his countenance mingled delight and incredulity. the case P” *T am not accustomed, sir,” I answered coldly, “either to jest on solemn matters, or to give utterance to falsehoods,” “No, no—I am aware of it, Joseph: but this intelligence comes so suddenly upon me it 13 sO extraordinary Pray tell me how all this was brought about!” “‘T may take credit to myself,” I rejoined, “ for haying been to a certain extent instrumental therein. I have lived with Sir Matthew Hesel- tine: and incidents occurred which led him to give me his confidence. One circumstance engendered another: his heart was softened—and he became reconciled to his long discarded daughter.” “And he ig enormously rich, Joseph !” said Mr. Lanover, thus unintentionally giving verbal utter- ance to what at the moment was passing through his mind. “ But my wife and Annabel i “They are at Heseltine Hall; and it was I who had the supreme happiness of conducting them thither.” exclaimed the expanding with “Ts this really JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. -house in London P” | temptation of her love. eee —- “And to think that I should have been abroad at the time!’’? muttered Lanover, but in a tone sufficiently audible to reach my ears. “And you say tiiat there are letters waiting for me at my “There are. Sir Matthew. Heseltine and your wife wrote to you a day or two after the meeting and the reconciliation. What the contents of these letters may be I know not precisely ¥ “ But can you form a conjecture ?” said Lanover eagerly. “TI would rather, sir, leave you to gather from their contents Sir Matthew Heseltine’s views and intentions. And now that I have given you all this information, perhaps you will condescend to tell me how it is that I find you beneath the same roof where the lamented perished ones have been dwelling ?” | ‘The explanation is simple enough,” replied Lanover. “The Earl of Mandeville made in- quiries for a trustworthy person who would place his daughter in a safe custody, but where she would be well treated and where a constant super- It happened that I was recommended to his lordship’s notice ; and I about three months back to look for a suitable dwelling for Lady Calanthe; and as this chateau was to be let for next to nothing, I took it. .Her ladyship and the child were at once removed hither: I remained a short time to carry out all suitable arrangements for their comfort.and well being—and then returned to London. Two or three weeks ago the Earl of Mandeville, on re- ceiving information that his daughter’s intellects were impaired, resolved to despatch a distant female relative of the family to take charge of her. I came to escort Mrs. Borthwick hither; and business matters have detained me longer than I had anticipated. Then there was the child’s death - “ And how did my poor boy die?” I inquired, in a low and mournful tone. * He was seized with a fever,’ answered Mr, Lanover, “ which carried him off at the expiration of three days’ illness. You see that every suitable arrangement was made for the funeral, which was to take place to-day: but now it will be de- ferred.” “Yes,” I said, with a convulsive sob,—“ be- cause there are two to be consigned to the grave !” —and again my soul was smitten with remorse as I reflected that Calanthe’s early doom was at- tributable to my weakness in yielding to the “You may conceive my astonishment, Joseph,” said Mr. Lanover, “ when the Earl of Mandeville at our first interview revealed his daughter’s un- fortunate history, and when her name was men- tioned in connexion with your own. For he was obliged to tell me everything, so that I might take measures to guard against any communica- tion between you,—as he informed me that you had carried her off from some place in Berkshire where she had been living in the strictest retire- ment. And now, Joseph, [ offer to enter into a compact with you. You have recently seen my wife and daughter ; and you can judge from their manner towards you whether I have betrayed a single syllable of your history in respect to Lady ELNO@ SS co