Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 343: what you’re looking at

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sss 2 SSS era re ee 330 JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. TE ee rs that instant I perceived the Countess gazing upon | after all the persecutions, the unkindnesses, and me with looks of the most earnest entreaty,— | the treacheries which I had experienced from him: looks so full of a plaintive appeal that my heart was moved; and [I said in a whisper to the Earl, “Tf her ladyship will echo your pledge and repeat the assurance you have just given me, I will assent to the proposition.” The Earl of Eccleston beckoned his wife to- wards us; and as she drew near, the colour went and came in rapid transition upon her face: she now looked at me with the glitter of uneasiness and uncertainty in her eyes: she was full of agita- tion and suspense. “ Clara,” said the Earl, “I have pledged myself to Joseph that if he will now take his departure and create no farther scandal in respect to the presence of Lanoyer in this house—and if he will in due course proceed to England, whither we our- selves shall be shortly bound—we will there meet him, and we will there give him all explanations. T have said that a delay of only three weeks need take place ere this be done; and Joseph requires from your lips a reiteration of the assurance which has thus emanated from mine.” “Yes, Joseph,” said the Countess, trembling with nervous agitation; “so far as it depends upon me, this arrangement shall be carried out. Oh, I pledge myself that it shall!” “In that case,” I responded, “ the proposal you have made me, my lord, shall be accepted. But, Oh! wherefore not say one word—only one word nv * Yes, one word,” murmured the Countess, look- ing appealingly to her husband, “Let the proposal which has been made and ac- cepted, stand precisely as it is,” said the Earl. “Three weeks will soon pass away; and then shall everything be made known, Joseph. But Al! -by the bye, tell me where you are to be found in Lon- don; so that I may lose no time, on our own arrival there, in intimating that the moment has come for you to call upon us and receive the fullest explanations.” I named the hotel in Holborn where I had stayed on former occasions; and the Earl wrote the address down in his pocket-book. The busi- ness was now completed: but still I lingered—still I tarried in that chamber: I wanted to say more —my mind was full of ineffable feelings: it ap- peared as if an invisible hand were holding me back when I was about to take my departure. I looked at the Earl: his countenance was calm and mournful. I looked at her ladyship: her coun- tenance was indicative of deep inward agitation. Then I looked towards Lanover: but the shade of the bed curtain prevented me from catching the precise expression of his features at the moment. “Joseph,” whispered the Earl, “every instant that you remain here only adds to our embarrass- ment and perplexity! And remember that my domestics will think strangely of all these proceed- ings “You have his lordship’s pledge, Joseph,” mur- mured the Countess; “and you have mine—yes, mine also,” she emphatically added, at the same time proffering me her hand. I took that hand with eagerness—aye, with rap- ture; and I pressed it warmly. Then the Earl gave me his hand: and I took it likewise. Ah, reader! you may start that I should have done so but perhaps you cannot guess what was passing in my mind. I had no farther excuse for delay; and I hur- ried from the room without flinging another look upon the miscreant Lanover—that wretch who so to speak had been resuscitated from the grave! Our party was soon collected; and we returned to the hotel. There I liberally rewarded my assistants in the memorable expedition: but espe- cially towards the landlord’s intelligent son Leo was my bounty displayed. As for explanation, I simply informed him that I had succeeded in my object; and the faithful young man was well pleased at this intelligence. I retired to rest: but it was long before sleep visited my eyes; for heaven knows I had sufficient to think of, and the topics of my thoughts were replete with a vividly interesting variety. On the following day I wrote to the Count of Livorno a full narrative of all that had occurred, —adding that I was about to return to England, — and naming the hotel in Holborn where I pur- posed to take up my quarters, and where I should be delighted to receive a letter from him. I then set out on my journey towards my own native country. e ———, CHAPTER CXLVIL THE SCOTCH LADY. Tr was on the tenth day after leaving Milan that I reached Paris; and as I had still plenty of time on hand before the lapse of the three weeks speci- fied by the Earl of Eecleston, I resolved to remain for a few days in the French capital. I took up my quarters at Meurice’s Hotel; and on thus in- stalling myself there, f could not help reflecting with feelings of astonishment on the rapid succes- sion of startling incidents which had occurred since the first occasion of my setting foot in that establishment. There I had arrived, on that first occasion, with a considerable sum of money in my pocket: there was I swindled by Dorchester—and thence was I compelled to pass into a menial posi- tion in the service of the Duc de Paulin. Now I returned to this same hotel—again with ample funds at my command—and with my mind so en- larged by the experiences gleaned in the interval, that I felt as if all I had at first knowp was sheer ignorance in comparison with the view which I was now enabled to take of the world at large and of the human character. On the first day of my arrival at Meurice’s Hotel, I dined at the table @hote at five o’clock; and, as usual, the company, to the number of about fifty, was composed of about two-thirds English and one-third French. I happened to sit next to an elderly lady who had a younger one with her; and this younger one I presently discovered to be the toady or companion of the first-mentioned dame. The latter was elderly, as I have already said: but to be more explicit, she might be about fifty. She was exceedingly stout; and it was not Cifficult to imagine that the buxom beauty of an earlier period had expanded into the somewhat GiIook -_ Conn