Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 234: what you’re looking at

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JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MFMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. Leonora now returned to the room; and she was amazed to hear that I was on the point of quitting Civita Vecchia ; but there was no time for explanations. I bade her farewell—my looks conveying those congratulations and sincere wishes for her happiness which a sense of delicacy pre- vented me from giving formal utterance to in words; and I descended to the dining-room, ac- companied by Kanaris. At the same instant that the post-chaise drew up at the gate, a mounted courier galloped up to the front door, and deli- vered to the servant a letter with the intimation that it was a private document for Signor Portici. The footman bore it into the dining-room, which I and Kanaris also entered. The Judge nodded with affectionate familiarity to the accepted suitor of his niece, and proceeded to open the letter. “This is most important,” he said, when he had perused its contents. “It is from the captain of the Tyrol. The Austrian commander informs me that he will lose no time in beating up to Civita Vecchia so soon as the wind permits; and he fur- ther states that he has despatched one of his ofli- cers by landto make me an important communi- cation. He has by some means become possessed of an exact personal description of Captain Durazzo, the veritable commander of the pirate- ship ; and he has deemed it expedient to send one of his own officers to confer with me on the best means of effecting the capture of Durazzo in the town, so that his crew being left without the benefit of his presence, may be all the more disconcerted and surrender without resistance to the Austrian flag. The officer may be expected to-morrow morning early; and be will bear with him the promised description of Durazzo. Such is the purport of the despatch I have just received.” “It is indeed of the first importance,” said Cosmo—an observation which was echoed both by myself and Kanaris. ““And now that I have heard all these good tidings,” I said, “I will take my departure. To your Excellency,” I continued, “I feel all the gra- titude that is due for the kind feelings you have demonstrated on my bebalf. I have already de- clared to the amiable Senora how immense is the obligation I experience towards your Excellency, and how infinite will be my delight to pay my respects at the Portici Villa when all these com- plications shall have ended. You, Cosmo,” I went on to say, addressing myself to the police-agent, **shall hear from me in a substantial manner the instant I arrive at Leghorn and have leisure to write. Meanwhile accept my sincerest thanks for all that you have done; and may the speedy capture of the Greek pirate afford you a much nobler recompense than I shall possibly be enabled to offer. My dear Kanaris, to you now " But I stopped short when turning round to ad- dress myself to the young Greek: for he had left the room. “He has only this moment stepped out,” said Signor Portici; “and doubtless awaits you on the threshold.” I shook hands with the worthy Judge, and like- wise with Cosmo, who had been of such material assistance to me. I then left the apartment, and traversing the hall, reached the front door— whence, by means of the hall-lamp, I perceived ee 221 Kanaris standing close to the equipage that was to bear me away. “T have been examining the horse-flesh,” he observed, as I at once joined him; “and I think you have every chance of completing the first stage with rapidity—for these animals, as far as I can judge by the chaise-lamps, appear of a better sort than those which we generally find on Italian roads.” “The sooner I arrive at Leghorn, the better,” I answered. “ And now farewell, my dear Kanaris:” —and then I added in a lower tone, ‘‘ And when next we meet, I hope to receive from your lips the assurance that you are supremely happy !” “A thousand thanks, my dear Wilmot!” re- joined the young Greek in accents that expressed the warmest sincerity. ‘‘And may you fully suc- ceed in the enterprise which takes you to Leg- horn !” Our hands were pressed—I leapt into the chaise —the door was closed—the postilion cracked his whip—and away went the equipage from the front of the Portici Villa. (cee CHAPTER CXXIII. A PiTCHY DARK NIGHT. THE town of Leghorn—or Livorno, as it is pros perly denominated—belongs to the Tuscan States ; and its distance, as the crow flies, is about one hundred and thirty miles north of Civita Vecchia : but as the road follows the sinuosities of the coast, another fifteen miles might safely be added to that number in order to make up the length of the journey which lay before me. Travelling with four horses, the road being good, and my well- filled purse enabling me to give handsome gra- tuities to the postilion, I might reckon on proceed- ing at the rate of about ten miles an hour: so that in fourteen hours I hoped to find myself within the precincts of Leghorn. Dorchester had the start of me by four or five hours: but that was of little consequence, considering that the pirate-ship was not to set sail until the middle of the following night; and thus,—even putting out of the ques- tion the hope and chance of its capture in the in- terval by the Austrian frigate, or as the result of the other plans which Signor Portici had in view, —I must arrive in Leghorn long before the ap- pearance of that schooner off the Tuscan coast. Besides, if Dorchester were not travelling with four horses, I should most probably overtake and pass him; and I made up my mind that the very instant I caught sight of the hypocritical scoundrel within the limits of-Tuscany, I would hand him over to the care of the authorities. He might assume whatsoever disguise he thought fit: but I felt persuaded that guided by past experience, I should penetrate it. Such were the reflections which were passing through my mind during the first few minutes after the equipage had driven away from Signor Portici’s villa,—when all of a sudden I felt that the chaise was whirled out of its equilibrium—it went all on one side as if the wheels on the other side had run up a bank—and at the very same in- stant it occurred to me that a loud shrill peculiar DOOKS (CO)