Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 170: what you’re looking at

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JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. On my part, it was settled that I was to proceed, with all suitable circumspection, to the young lady’s abode before noon, so that I should have time to break to her the intelligence that her lover was in the neighbourhood and was waiting | to be introduced to her presence. When it was time for Francesco Avellino to | take his departure from the hotel, at about half- past ten o’clock, I offered to walk a portion of the | way with him, in order that we might combine our scrutinising powers so as to ascertain whether there were any indications of espial. We set out accordingly ; and as we issued from the hotel, it certainly struck us that a man, with a slouching hat, and whose countenance was completely shaded thereby, did move on in the same direction as our- selves: but when we again looked round, the indi- vidual was no longer to be seen. We walked on, stowly stopping every now and then as if discours- ing earnestly on some interesting topic; but we still saw nothing more of the supposed spy. _ “ We must not, however,” said Avellino, “ lull ourselves into the completest security on this point: for the spies of the secret police have a marvellous ingenuity in tracking persons, they themselves remaining unseen—so that there is a superstitious belief amongst the lower orders that these functionaries have the power of rendering themselves invisible.” “We will adopt every precaution to-morrow,” I answered, “ when carrying out the plans which we have already settled.” Thus discoursing, Avellino and I continued our way—not failing to keep watch to see if our foot- steps were dogged: but we perceived no farther indication that such was the case. When within about half a mile of Francesco’s dwelling, I bade him good night ; and we separated. I began to retrace my way towards the hotel; and I had to traverse three or four streets in a poor and some- what suspicious neighbourhood. I, however, had no fear, although completely unarmed: for since I had been in Rome I had beheld nothing to war- rant apprehension of outrage in the streets; and when I apply the term suspicious to the particular quarter to which I am alluding, I am referring to its aspect rather than to any known circumstances to justify the aspersion. But my experience of the Roman streets by night was now destined to become considerably enlarged; for just as I was entering one of the narrow dirty dark thorough- fares in the quarter which I had to traverse, my ears caught the sound of a scuflie—of voices speak- ing excitedly—and then of the, heavy fall of a human form. It seemed as if wings were sud- denly lent to my feet: I flew in the direction whence the sounds came : and through the almost total obscurity I could just distinguish a couple of men stooping over the prostrate form of a third, and evidently rifling his person. The villains no doubt fancied that I was some confederate thus speeding towards them: for they did not take either to the offensive or defensive until I was close upon them; and then, with sudden ejacula- tions, they sprang towards me. A dagger which one wielded, glanced miraculously away from my left arm, only tearing the coat-sleeve, as I subsequently discovered; and in an instant I wrenched the weapon from the ruffian’s grasp. Quick as light- ning I aimed at his breast : I struck him—and he cr ee ~_—_— fell with a horrible cry. His companion flew at me the next instant with the fury of a tiger ; and as I had scarcely time to act on the defensive after having levelled my first opponent, I have every reason to believe that my life would have been sacrificed, were it not that the second robber’s foot tripped over his prostrate comrade’s leg—and he fell heavily. I was upon him in a moment: but before I could disarm him, he dealt me a severe blow on the right shoulder with his sharp dagger ; and in an instant I felt the warm blood gushing down my arm. I was terribly excited by that wound; and wrenching the dagger from his grasp, struck the handle with all my might upon his forehead. At that very instant a posse of sbirri came up to the spot; and when I endea- voured to rise from the prostrate form of the ruffian whom I had just stricken senseless, I was seized with « sudden faintness—my brain ap- peared to swim round—and consciousness aban- doned me. When I returned to my senses, E found myself lying on a sofa in my bedroom at the hotel, with Dominie Clackmannan and Mr. Saltcoats bending over me, and a third person—a gentlemanly- looking man, dressed in black—standing at a little distance. . Af first I thought that my adventure in the street must be all a dream, and that after en- tertaining Avellino at dinner, I had lain down and gone to sleep upon that sofa. But as I endea- voured to raise myself up, Saltcoats said something to prevent me ; and then I became sensible of a pain in the fleshy part of my shoulder. The gentlemanly-looking man stepped forward, and made a sign for me to lie quiet. He addressed me in talian: but finding I did not understand it, he spoke in French: for’I should observe that there are few educated persons in Italy who are not ac- quainted with the latter tongue as well as with their own. He told me that. I had received a wound which was severe in consequence of the quantity of blood I had lost; but that it was by no means dangerous—and that if I kept myself quiet, I should soon be well. I need hardly ex- plain that this gentleman was a surgeon; and I was about to ask him who had brought me back to the hotel,—when he himself began questioning me as to the circumstances of the conflict. I recited them in the same way as I have already narrated them to my readers ; and then I had to give the same story over again in English, for the benefit of my friends Mr. Clackmannan and Mr. Salt- coats.. “Well, the sbirri who brought you home,” said Saltcoats, “ told the servants of the hotel there had been some medley in which you had behaved your- self most courageously—the servants told it to our courier—and the courier told it to us: but the police-officers did not wait to give much explana- tion.” “ And the gentleman whom [I rescued from those ruffians ?” I said: “what tidings of him? Was he murdered by them? or was he only stunned ?” “Oh! from the little we heard,” answered Salt- coats, “ he was not killed outright but that is all we are able to tell you.” *“* And how did the officers know where I lived ?”’ I inquired after a pause. “It’s just that,” interposed Dominie Clack- mannan. “ Saltcoats, who is always telling me I OOO) S co A