Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

<—— | CaN. TRIS SI He is fond of contemplating the splendid pictures which he himself possesses ; and it was a source of gratification to him to get me for an hour in the gallery to discuss the merits of the specimens which he has accumulated there. The Count of Livorno was often wont to join us; and I believe that from those intellectual conversations I rosé considerably in the esteem of Antonia’s father. He often endeavoured to induce his son to make one of the party, so that the young Viscount might profit by the discourse which we held together: but he infinitely preferred the billiard-table in the day-time, and the haunts of pleasure in the even- ing. I had perceived on several occasions that the Viscount was becoming dissipated; and that al- though scarcely beyond the sphere of boyhood, he was acquiring an attachment to wine. The father beheld it not—or perhaps he strove to blind his eyes to the conviction of his son’s failings. I did not choose to speak to the parent on the subject ; but I nevertheless considered it a deplorable cir- cumstance that the young man should be thus losing himself for want of perhaps a little timely advice; and I resolved to take an opportunity of acting a friendly part towards him. I thought that one who was only about four years older than himself, might with greater facility warn him against evil companions, by representing that they only sought his society for what they could get out of him,—than if he were to receive a long lesson from the lips of his father. I therefore spoke to the young Viscount one day, with that frank in- genuousness and free off-hand manner which one young man may adopt towards another: but the Viscount insolently bade me look to my own affairs and trouble myself not with his pro- eeedings. I saw that from this moment I had made a mortal enemy of the Viscount, and that the dislike with which he had hitherto regarded me was all in an instant enhanced into a malig- nant hatred. Still he displayed it not openly: for I stood too highly in his father’s estimation to be easily damaged without some powerful cause.’ “I must confess,” I here interjectingly ob- served, “that there was something in the Vis- count’s manner which I myself did not like at the very first moment.of our acquaintance. I am not therefore much astonished to hear that his dis- position has so little real manliness or amiability in it.” “Heaven is my witness, * continued Avellino, “that I do not now speak of him in these terms through any rancorous feeling for what has oc- curred: but it is necessary for the full under- standing of my narrative that I should thus allude to incidents which otherwise might seem trivial or that it would be ungenerous to mention. There- fore I must proceed to inform you that whenever the young Viscount had an opportunity of pri- vately demonstrating his spite towards me, he never failed to make use of it; and his malignity was no doubt aggravated by the dignified indiffer- ence with which I treated those evidences of his hatred. Months passed away—no avowal of love had issued from my lips—but I was happy in the conviction that Antonia reciprocated the feeling which I experienced towards her. I was fearful of being too marked in my attentions:—not that I ever seriously deliberated with myself whether the Count of Tivoli would refuse me the hand of JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, TITE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. his He is fond.of contémplatine the splendid pictures { his daughter ; but methoneht thal aa che waa co ; but methought that as she was so young, it were only delicate and prudent to suffer time re pass on before taking any positive step. I knew that she loved me; and that was sufficient. Besides, the dream itself was so delicious that I would not disturb it in any way; and I believe that I could have lived whole years as well as months in that paradise of feelings which I en- joyed. You may comprenend therefore how etherialized was the love which I cherished for Antonia—how high above the grossness of mere passion. I adored her as if she were an angel, and seemed not to covet the possession of her as a being of this world. When away from her, my mental vision was constantly riveted upon her image. But you will perhaps be surprised when T tell you that at that time I never sought to transfer it to canvass. No—it appeared to me as if an attempt on my part to create an inanimate representation of that animate beauty, would so completely fall short of the measure of justice due to the loveliness of the original, that I dared not enter upon such a task. Methought then that it would be an almost impious daring to attempt to depict with earthly materials that angelic countenance which reflected the beauty of heaven; and that only the boldest hardihood could essay to make the canvass reflect. the sunny light which beamed in Antonia’s eyes, or delineate the angelic sweetness of Antonia’s smile. From all that I am now saying, you may perhaps obtain a further insight to the etherial—the szsthetic—the subli- mated nature of my love for the Count of Tivoli’s daughter.” “Yes, I comprehend it,” I answered, in a low voice: for Avellino’s description had given mea fuller understanding than ever I had before expe- rienced of that love which I bore for Annabel, and which was so different—Oh! so different from the insensate and transient passion with which the un- fortunate Lady Calanthe had at one time inspired me. * After having remained some months at Rome,” resumed Francesco Avellino, “the Duke of Tus- cany’s nephew took his departure; but before we separated, we exchanged assurances of the warmest friendship: for there was much in our dispositions that assimilated—much likewise in our tastes and in the tone of our intellects which had attracted us towards each other. The Count of Tivoli missed him much: and I became a more frequent visitor than ever at that nobleman’s palace. Shortly after Livorno’s departure, the young Viscount proceeded on atour to Naples, whence he was to pass into Sicily—so that his absence from home was to be of some weeks’ duration. I now saw more of An- tonia than I had previously done; and the Count of Tivoli, as I have just said, encouraged my visits to his mansion. lt frequently occurred that I found myself alone with his daughter; and on one of those occasions I breathed to her an ayowal of my love. Need Ladd that it was reciprocated? Ob! at this instant every detail of that delicious scene is as vividly present to my memory as if it had occurred but yesterday. We were walking together in the spacious garden attached to the Tivoli palace; it was a serene and beautiful evening—the sun was sinking into the western horizon—the over-arching canopy of foliage shut out its fading beams — the atmosphere was fra: Spo lrceas| ElO@O) <S (c@)