Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

that is the reason I did not knock you down the instant I beheld you lurking behind this tree in so suspicious a manner. Adolphe, I despise you!” —and with these words I was passing on my way. “Joseph,” he said, hastening after me, “ you will not tell the Duke that you found me here ?” “T shall not condescend,” I answered, “to give any promise in one way or another to such a des- picable character as yourself. You are but one remove from that spy of the Government who so nearly swore away a number of human lives,” ‘ Adolphe gnashed his teeth with impotent rage; and he was about to say something more, when at that instant we both simultaneously caught sight of the Duke de Paulin advancing across the Boulevard. Adolphe was about to flee precipi- tately: but I seized him by the arm—for I thought it better he should be held fast on that spot to give an account of his eonduct to his master. “What are you doing in Paris, Adolphe ?” de- manded the Duke, confronting him with a stern countenance: but as the valet was so overwhelmed with confusion and afiright that he could not answer the question, the Duke turned to me, say- ing, “Under what circumstances did you fall in with him, Joseph ?”’ * T was walking round the Boulevards, Monsieur le Duc, for my recreation—and I found Adolphe here.” * Here—and in plain clothes!” ejaculated the Duke: then for a few moments he seemed bewil- dered how to act: but suddenly making up his mind with a dignified firmness, he said, “ Adolphe, although especially attached to Madame la Duchesse, yet you are after all in my service—for I am the master of the household. I therefore dismiss you—and I forbid you from ever again crossing the threshold of my mansion. Joseph, follow me.” . Adolphe muttered something about “the Mar- shal and the Duchess being bound to take his part ;” and he turned away. Ifollowed the Duke, who walked slowly along the Boulevard; and when we were at a little distance from the spot where that scene had taken place, he stopped short and said, “Adolphe saw me enter that house oppo- site P” “Yes, Monsieur le Due,” I answered. * And methought from the manner of you both, as I caught sight of you from the window, that your conversation was somewhat excited ?” *‘T certainly reproached Adolphe,” was my re- sponse, “for acting as a spy, Monsieur le Duce, upon your proceedings.” “You are a good young man!” he ejaculated: and waving his hand for me to proceed in one direction, he turned and slowly began to retrace his way towards the point whence we had just come. : As I proceeded along I thought to myself that fresh scenes of violence would ensue when the Duchess should return to the mansion, inasmuch as Adolphe was certain to lose no time in commu- nicating to her the fact of his discharge, The reader must not however think that because I had so severely blamed Adolphe, I was taking the part of the Duke in his conduct with respect to Made- moiselle Ligny. » Nothing of the sort! I eon- JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. sidered the Duke to be deeply reprehensible: but at the same time I could not help despising the base wretch who by enacting the part of a spy, only contributed towards the rancorous animosity which the Duchess already experienced with regard to her husband. And here, before continuing the thread of my narrative, 1 must observe that my mind was fully made up to leave the Duke’s ser- vice after a proper interval should have elapsed from the earliest day on which I might be in a position to give notice to that effect. Heaven knows that I was not unmindful of the immense obligation under which I lay towards him: but matters were becoming so unpleasantly compli- cated beneath his roof, and I was somehow or another so continuously finding myself mixed up therein, that I was resolved to escape at the ear- liest opportunity from those scenes of trouble and annoyance. Before returning home after the oceurrences on the Boulevards, I called at the old banker’s re- sidence —as indeed I had done three or four times during the past fortnight—to inquire after Made- moiselle Delacour. I learnt that though some- what better, and progressing favourably, the young lady was nevertheless still confined to her chamber, —her illness having been a very serious one in- deed. In the afternoon of the following day the Duchess returned to the mansion, accompanied by Amelie and Florine: but Adolphe was not with the carriage. I happened to be in the court-yard when the Duchess alighted: I saw that her coun- tenance was exceedingly pale, with traces of much recent agitation upon it. She did not speak a word to a soul—she looked neither to the right nor to the left—but entered the building and immediately repaired to her own private apart- ments. Shortly afterwards Florine came to in- quire if the Duke were in: and she addressed herself to me. JI informed her that he was not ; and she desired me to intimate, the moment he entered, that the Duchess wished to see him. Florine then hurried away; and I saw by her manner that she was angry and agitated,—a mood for which I could very well account, inasmuch as she was engaged to the discarded Adolphe. Shortly afterwards I met Amelie in one of the passages; and she said to me, “So Adolphe is discharged—and you were present when it took place? He came home to the Marshal’s country- seat yesterday afternoon, and told the Duchess everything,—not omitting to state how you had threatened him. I overheard it all: for the Duchess bade him speak in the presence of myself and Florine. She was dreadfully excited,—de- claring that there was no harm in her servants becoming acquainted with things that all the world must know in a very short time. I am afraid there will be a dreadful scene presently when the Duke returns.” “Tam afraid so likewise,’ I remarked. “ Has Adolphe been in Paris the whole time that you were at the Marshal’s?” “Pretty nearly,” replied Amelie: “but it does not appear that he succeeded in dogging the Duke’s steps until the day before yesterday; and then he traced him to the house where Made- moiselle Ligny is now lodging. He watched again yesterday morning,—little thinking, 1 dare say, (EC) NOOLK (E@)