Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

—— = | 120 JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. learnt, were tightly screwed down to the planks. his lordship occupied beneath the roof of the ducal In front of each prisoner stood the attendant dwelling. He gave me the warmest reception— priest,—each stretching out a small crucifix to- but gently reproached me for having removed to wards the lips invited to kiss the sacred catholic | another hotel without having made him acquainted emblem. The police-officials quickly and deftly with my new place of abode, and also for not bound the criminals to their chairs in such a way | having been to visit him during the fortnight that they were held almost completely motionless | which had by this time elapsed since the day of therein: for the cords passed rouna their forms explanations at the palace. and were fastened to the backs of those seats. | “Tcanassure your lordship,’ I answered, “it Then all of a sudden—as if in a moment evoked, | was from no other motives than the most delicate by some rapidly uttered incantation, from the very ones: I was fearful of intruding—I knew likewise bowels of the earth beneath—another figure ap- , that your time must be very much occupied rm peared upon that platform. ‘The effect of this; “Never too much occupied,” interrupted the sudden apparition was appallingly startling: but | Count, “to receive a valued and esteemed friend I subsequently learnt that the man had been | such as you are. But wherefore do you purpose hitherto concealed beneath the platform itself, the | to leave Florence. The bridal is to be celebrated sides of which were all boarded round, thus ren- | shortly; and both Olivia and myself are deter- dering ita great wooden box. That man had a | mined that you shall be present. No excuses, my mask upon his countenance—and he wielded an | dear friend! 1 can perfectly understand the enormous sword. There was no necessity to in- | delicacy of your feelings: but in the first place, quire who he was: his sinister appearance pro- ; my dear Joseph, I have no pride overruling what claimed the terrible fact—he was the public execu- | is due in friendship—and in the second place it tioner. /is not because you have been in a menial position The remainder of the fearful ceremony followed | for which by education and manners you were quick upon that man’s appearance through the | never intended, that you should bashfully keep little trap-door in the certre of the platform. The ' aloof from the sphere in which you may now priests stood back—but one and all raised their | move, and which is properly your own. Rest crucifixes high up with an air of solemn adjura- | assured too that Miss Sackyille thinks precisely as tion; while the sudden rolling of the military | I do upon this point.” drums drowned from those who were at a distance | “T know that your lordship is all generosity,” whatsoever words these holy men uttered. Then|I exclaimed, “ and Miss Sackville likewise: but there was a sudden glancing effect as if a gleam of | there are certain prejudices in other quarters— lightning had flashed over the platform: it wasthe | and against these I will not offend. It would be rapid sweep of the headsman’s sword—and Marco | impossible for Lord and Lady Ringwold to welcome Uberti’s head rolled upon the scaffold. Another | with sincere cordiality as an equal one whom they sweep of that terrible glancing weapon—another— | had seen in a menial capacity. You perceive and another; and they were naught but headless | therefore, my lord, that I should be exposing my- trunks which sate in those chairs. self to a slight which I am sure that you would not A profound sensation of horror was evinced by ; have me encounter. Indeed my mind is made up the crowd—while I experienced so sickening a|—andI beseech you not to endeavour to divert sensation that I felt as if I were about to faint. | me from my purpose. I sincerely wish you both With an incredible rapidity the police-officials cut | all possible happiness: but I have come to bid your | or loosened the cords—I could not prezisely see | lordship farewell—for I leave Florence this after- which ; for there was a dimness over my vision; | noon.” and the remains of the four prisonere were tossed | The Count of Livorno was evidently saddened down the little trap-door,—to be placed, as I | by this resolve on my part: he endeavoured to afterwards learnt, in the coffins that were in readi- | dissuade me from it—but I continued firm—and ness beneath the platform to receive them. I be- | he at length agreed to suffer me to haye my own took myself away from the scene as quickly as I | way. could, and hurried back to the hotel where I was ** Before you leave me, however,’ said the Count, staying,—angry with myself that I had become | “ I have two pleasing duties to perform. The first a spectator of the hideous ceremony at all. is to present you with a slight token of the Grand Duke’s gratitude for the share which you had in — restoring to his Royal Highness the State docu- ments, and also in capturing Marco Uberti.” CHAPTER CII. Thus speaking, the Count of Livorno handed me a small casket in which there was a most beau- DEPARTURE FROM FLORENCE. tiful watch set round with diamonds, and two peeve : { ‘ rings of ee ae and a ae e following day I despatched a note to the | gems were all of the first water; and the cost 0 Count of Livorno, to the effect that as I intended | the gift could not have been less than several hun- to leave F lorence I wished for )ans CpBOran ES? | = gO i pay 0 —— pay my parting respects to his lordship; an for this generous mark of the ducal approbation : failed not in the same letter to express my grate- | but the Count of Livorno hastened to observe, ful thanks for the sum of money which he had so | “ And now for the second duty which I have to liberally placed at my disposal. The messenger | perform. Follow me.” brought back a reply written in the kindest terms,| I obeyed; and he conducted me along a superb and appointing the hour of noon for the Count to | corridor, into a magnificently furnished apartment, receive meat the palace. Thither I repaired—and | —where a personage plainly dressed, and who ep- was conducted to the suite of apartments which peared to be an inyalid, was seated. He was — eee ECORMIC OOOKSseEO