Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 375: what you’re looking at

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

362 from the lips of her mother, for fear lest the intel- ligence should some day burst upon her in a ruder mode.” — “And how learnt you that circumstance?” £ asked. “The villain Lanover, some six or seven months az0, from his dungeon in Florexce, wrote letters to myself, to my daughter, and my granddaughter,” ~ ©T expected as much!” I exclaimed. “ Fortunately,” continued Sir Matthew, “the letter intended for Annabel passed through her mother’s hands—or I should rather say it was intercepted by them the moment the handwriting was recognised. Thus was it that Annabel was saved from the shock which her pure mind would have otherwise received, and which that vindictive monster Lanover intended to occasion.” “My dear Sir Matthew,” I vehemently ex- claimed, “will you believe my solemn assurance that though during the period of my probation L wished not that incident to become known to you, lest it should cause a prejudice to settle, take root, and grow in your mind,—yet that E all along re- solyed to avow everything with frankness in the end ?” ‘““Of the truth of this assurance I also have the fullest certitude,” responded Sir Matthew. “ 1 knew that you would deal thus frankly with me; and that was one of the reasons which made me fur- nish you the opportunity of justifying this belief, —a belief not merely founded on my knowledge of your character, but likewise arising from posi- tive information conveyed to me.” “By whom?” I asked, in bewildering astonish- ment, “By your friend the Count of Livorno,” re- joined Sir Matthew. “ Ah! and a nobler friend you possess not, Joseph, on the face of the earth! You should see the terms in which he writes of you! Not that he says a single syllable more than you deserve : but in this world it is a rare thine for one man to give another credit for his deserts.” “ And the Count has written to you?” I said inquiringly. “Yes: I received his letter this morning. It appears that you have made him acquainted,” con- tinued Sir Matthew, “with all the incidents of your life. He saw my solicitor in London + “ Yes—I recollect—two or three days ago. He considerately went to inquire whether you were all well, and whether you were still at this man- sion.” “Yes: and doubtless,” interjected Sir Matthew, with one of his peculiar smiles, “ the Count of Livorno learnt from Mr. Tennant that I am—or at least used to. be, a very strange sort of charac- ter; and so the Count probably thought that my reception of you might not be as welcome as you hoped and he wished it to be. He accordingly wrote me this letter, explaining how you had so nobly perilled your life for us in the Apennines—how you had done the same in order to save us from the treachery designed by Lanover and to be car- ried out through the medium of the Greek pirates. In addition to these statements, the Count of Li- vorno gave me the assurance that he had seen you under many trying circumstances —he has well studied your disposition and character—and the re- sult is, my dear Joseph,” added Sir Matthew, pat- > JOSEPH WIGLMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. ting me on the back, “ that his lordship the Count is ready to stake his existence upon your integrity and honour.” “ Generous friend that he has been to me!” I exclaimed, my heart melting with emotions as I ‘thus fervidly spoke. ** T was pleased to receive his lordship’s letter,” continued Sir Matthew; “but it made not the slightest difference in the course which I was pre- pared to adopt towards you: my arms were ready to open to receive you and,” added the worthy Baronet, his lips quivering and his voice shaking with emotion, “perhaps you yourself, Joseph, have not more deeply longed for the coming of this day than I myself have!” I expressed my gratitude for Sir Matthew’s kind words; and after a few moments’ pause, I said, “Then it was the Count of Livorno’s letter which made you ecquainted with all the details of Lady Calanthe’s history, as he had at different times re- ceived them from my lips: because there were cer- tain points on which Lanover himself must have been ignorant.” “ Yes—the Count gave me the fullest details in his letter,” answered Sir Matthew,—“ not to be- tray you unnecessarily, but in order that in case -Lanover should have sent me a falsely coloured account, I might be put in possession of the exact truth by the time of your arrival here to-day.” “And beyond the facts to which you have al- luded,”’ I said inquivingly, “the Count of Livorno has given you no explanations in reference to other circumstances which intimately concern me?” “ None,” answered Sir Matthew. “ But the tie is now come, Joseph, when you must begin your explanations. And first of all, my dear boy, in reference to this mourning garb which you wear——” xy “ A few words will explain it!” I interrupted the Baronet : “but they are connected with an avowal which must be made in the presence of Annabel and her mother. It is a piece of intelligence which I have tg impart—something which con- cerns myself——But one word, Sir Matthew P” I ejaculated. “You give me your consent to claim Annabel as my bride ?” “Yes, my dear boy—yes!” responded Sir Mat- thew. “ Have you not already comprehended as much? And I will make you rich too—I will give you a fortune a “Oh! infinitely more rejoiced,’ I exclaimed, “am I that all this should be addressed to me as the humble and obscure Joseph Wilmot than But come, Sir Matthew !—come!” I cried, now full of the excitement of wild joy: and seizing the Baronet by the hand, I began to drag him towards” the door. «“ What does all this mean, Joseph P” asked Sir Matthew. ‘“Butno matter! it is natural enough! Joy has its fever and its madness as well as grief. Come, my dear boy !—we will speed to the ladies, as you wish it—and you shall claim Annabel as you bride.” I know not at what terrific speed I dragged Sir Matthew up the stairs: but I can positively aflirm that he was not the least annoyed or vexed: on the contrary he seemed fully disposed to let me do with him precisely what I thought fit. I burst open the door of the drawing-room with an abrupt- ness that startled Annabel and her mother: but ine tc sitet i a Ty SL a a ea a re eo CORNIECLOO@ €5) (Cc) - ty