Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

190 me go out for my intended walk and be followed by himself. I however, as above intimated, saw the necessity of leaving myself in his hands; and I inwardly vowed that by no folly or indiseretion on my part should there be a chance of marring those plans that were in progress for bafiling the contemplated schemes of Lanover and his accom- plices. I walked forth from the hotel—Cosmo following with my overcoat and umbrella, which he had evidently undertaken to carry that he might the better assume the character of the dependant. He escorted me to the public buildings, in the in- spection of which two or three hours were passed —until at length I found myself near the port and close by that tavern where Captain Notaras had established his quarters. I was thus suddenly reminded of the promise I had given on the pre- ceding day to call and see the injured mariner : but it struck me that there might be some impru- dence in the step, as it was possible I should there encounter Constantine Kanaris, whose society I was for the present to avoid. “You appear to hesitate at something, sir,” said Cosmo, approaching me and touching his hat with that air of becoming respect which a menial exhibits towards his master. “I ¢hink I can conjecture what is passing in your mind: you are deliberating with yourself whether you shall call upon Captain Notaras ?” “ Precisely so,’ I exclaimed, wondering how Cosmo could have possibly fathomed my thoughts. “The incident relative to Captain Notaras was yesterday mentioned to Signor Portici,” Cosmo went on to observe, with his wonted calmness of speech and demeanour, “either by yourself or Signor Kanaris; and the Judge mentioned it among other things to me last night. There can be no harm, sir, in your calling upon the injured man.” * “Tn that case I will do so,” I observed. “ You can await me here: I shall not be many minutes :” —and I was moving away towards the tavern when Cosmo touched me on the arm as if to de* tain me. “ What is it ?”? I asked. “You might take the opportunity, sir,” returned my attendant, “ to proffer a bouquet of flowers— or some fruit—or a jelly—or any little delicacy which this tavern is not hkely to be able to supply, but which your hotel could at once furnish.” “And why so?’ I inquired: “ why should I proffer these things P” “Through civility to an invalid,’ rejoined Cosmo: but his eyes glanced significantly on me for a moment, and I at once comprehended that there was a deeper meaning than his mere words had seemed to convey, and that he had some ulterior purpose to serve. ““ Tt shall be as you have suggested,’ I said: and no longer detained by Cosmo, I at once en- tered the tavern. I was conducted to the chamber of Captain Notaras, who welcomed me with that sailor-like bluntness to which I have before alluded, and which seemed replete wiéh a good-humoured cor- diality considerably at variance with the naturally ferocious expression of his countenance. He was of course lying in bed; and being unshaven as well as unkempt, his look was even more savage and repulsive than on the preceding day: but still l JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. endeavoured to put his appearance out of the question, and to regard him only with the com- passionating sympathy that seemed due te one who had been so seriously injured. He cursed, with many bitter imprecations, his folly in haying taken it into his head to go on horseback, being almost totally unaccustomed to such a means of conveyance: yet it was with no/small difficulty I could discover his precise meaning, so execrably bad was the French that he spoke: I inquired what the medical attendants had said of him this morning : he answered that he was getting on as well as could possibly be expected—but broke out into fresh anathemas against his own folly, “which had thus waterlogged him at a moment when he ought to be in readiness to hoist all sail and take advantage of the first favourable wind.” * Will your vessel have to wait in the port,” I inquired, “ until you are able to resume your com- mand? or will she have to go without you?” “Ah! that all depends upon circumstances,” | responded Notaras, with another prolonged and heavy curse. _ “And which is your vessel?” I asked, moving towards the window, which commanded a view of the entire harbour. “Run your eyes, my young friend, along all that shipping,” said the captain,—* single out the one which you fancy to be the loveliest model there— never mind the colour—don’t be led away by the painting of some of those flaunting-looking barks —but consider well which looks the likeliest vessel to skim swiftest through the water e “In that case,” I interrupted him, “I have no difficulty in signalizing the schooner with the black hull and the raking masts. Indeed, I was admir- ing it yesterday ” and I was just on the point of adding, “from Signor Portici’s balcony,’ when I remembered that I was by no means to mention to a soul my intimacy with the Judge: and I felt convinced too that Kanaris had received a hint from the same quarter to abstain from coupling my name with that of Signor Portici. “Then that very schooner you so well describe,” exclaimed Notaras, “is the ship that I have the honour to command. JDid you ever see a lovelier craft ?—does she not float like a bird upon the water? With hersharp-pointed bow a trifle higher than the stern—her masts tapering with so much elegance and grace—and ail the tracery of her rig- ging standing out as it were in euch relief against the background of the sky, it’s just like a ship in a picture! Aye, and its enough to make even a rude uncouth brute such as I am, poetical to think of that lovely craft !” “You may indeed felicitate yourself upon com- manding a beautiful vessel,” I observed. “I pre- sume you trade into the Black Sea ?” “Yes—and at times to the Italian ports,” an- swered Notaras: “or else she would not be here now.” “Has Signor Kanaris called upon you to-day ?” I inquired,—* your fellow-countryman, | mean— the gentleman who was with me yesterday—— “Oh! his name is Kanaris, is it?” said the Captain. “Then I suppose he must be a rela- tion “ Of the famous Admiral of the same name,” I added: “and proud may he indeed be of such dis- tinguished kinship.” 3? Glyoo (E@)