Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

JOSEPH WILMOT ; calamity P’—and an expression of anguished bit- terness passed over his features. “T hope not, sir—I think not,” was my 7e- sponse: and I tendered him the billet. “Ah! he ejaculated, instantaneously recog- nising the writing, which was in a beautiful fluent female hand; and all in a moment did joy, sus- pense, and amazement succeed that other look which I had just observed on his countenance. “ Who gave you this? how did it come P” But without waiting for any answer, he tore open the billet. The lines it contained were evi- dently few—for they were quickly scanned by his eager eyes: yet great must have been their im- portance, for the ejaculation “ Thank God!’ fell in fervent accents from his lips. He seemed to be overpowered by his joy; and tears gushed forth from his eyes,—as if some tremendous weight had been lifted from his soul, and the sense of relief found its natural issue in those tears. For more than a minute he thus remained under the in- fluence of his feelings,—apparently unconscious that I was standing near and observing him. I should have retired at once, only that I knew there were questions which he must desire to put to me. “Who gave you this note, Joseph?’ he at length asked. “Tell me quick who gaye it to you P” “A young lady _ “Ah! it is she herself then! she ?” “The lady merely asked me,” I responded, “to do her a service—which I willingly under- took 7A “And she enjoined you to secrecy—did she not ?” interrupted Mr. Ravenshill. “Yes, sir: and that injunction I shall assuredly obey.” “You are a good youth, Joseph,” eried my young master,—“ an excellent youth! I must re- ward you liberally , “ No, sir,’ I answered. “The young lady her- self proffered me a recompense: but I respectfully declined it,” “Well, go, Joseph—return to the Hall,” re- sumed Mr. Ravenshill, evidently under the ex- citement of these new feelings of hope and joy wherewith the letter had inspired him. “ But for heayen’s sake, breathe not a syllable ai “No, sir—not’a syllable to a soul. Believe me, I am incapable of such folly and treachery :” —and with these words, I hastened away, my heart rejoicing at the sudden change which had been effected by the billet in the mind of Mr. Rtavenshill. I did not see my young master any more that evening; and when I descended from my bed- room at the usual hour in the mcrning, I found three or four of the servants, together with Thomas Austin and the other men in possession, con- versing in an excited way, relative to an incident that appeared to be involved in some degree of mystery. “It’s of no use a-talking like this here,” said Tom Austin, as he cut a piece of cold meat ona slice of bread, and began munching the little refection to stay his stomach ere breakfast should be served up: “it’s my dooty to see as how the doors and gates is all locked afore going up to And what said OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. 79 bed; and I'll be on my salwation hoath that I see the back-door and the garden-gate all as right as trivets.” “But who could have gone out, then, in the middle of the night—or else early this morning before anybody was up?’ demanded one of the footmen angrily. “It must le with some of you chaps,”—addressing himself scornfully to the men in possession: “and I for one don’t mean to be got into a scrape by any such nonsense as this.” As I listened to the colloquy which was thus progressing, a vague suspicion stole into my mind ; and I looked about for Charles Linton, in order to see whether he had as yet been up to call Mr. Ravenshill,—who, I should observe, was ac- eustomed to rise early. But I could not find him ; and I soon perceived that the work specially belonging to Charles, was not yet commenced. I ascended to his chamber: he was not there. I went down stairs again—waited for another half- hour—and then inquired of some of my fellow- servants if they had seen Charles? The response was in the negative: so 1 took a pitcher of hot water; and again ascending the stairs, proceeded this time to Mr. Ravenshill’s apartment. It was unoccupied; and on the table lay a letter ad- dressed to his lordship. I then knew that my suspicion was correct:—Mr. Walter had evidently fied ! T took the letter—went down stairs—and com- municated the circumstance. The domestics were all astonished; and they instantaneously began speculating and conjecturing what this sudden dis- appearance could mean: for it was clear enough that Mr. Ravenshill was gone, and that Charles Linton had accompanied him. The general and most natural supposition was, that our young mas- ter had departed in order to avoid being dragged into an alliance with Miss Boustead: though none of the servants were aware that this marriage had been so positively and definitely fixed for that very day. I could perhaps have thrown a little more light on the subject—for it was evident enough to me that Mr. Walter had found a far more suitable bride in the fair writer of the billet, than in the ugly and affected Euphemia: but I held my peace, and hastened to take the letter which my young master had left, to his lordship. The nobleman had only just descended to the breakfast-parlour as I entered; and the moment I made my appearance, he said, “ What, have the letters come so early ?” “No, my lord,’ I answered—but with some de- gree of hesitation; for I foresaw that a fearful shock was about to be occasioned by the letter I earried—* I found this, my lord, on—on the table in Mr. Ravenshill’s a “What! where is Mr. Ravenshill? where is my son P” ejaculated his lordship, seized with misgiv- ings that were painfully evident: and he snatched up the letter from the silver salver—then tearing it open, gave vent to a low but agonized ejacula- tion, as his eyes glanced at the first few lines, I withdrew from the breakfast-room, and pur- posely avoided returning immediately to the servants’ hall—as I did not wish to be questioned. I went and walked in the garden until I thought breakfast was ready: and on re-entering the house, I found the utmost excitement prevailing amongst the domestics, His lordship had been found in a — EOC) <5) (c@) im