Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

JOSEPH WILMOT ; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. 75 “You are brave enough to say that you are prepared to die,” answered Captain Raymond; “but yours is a young life thus to imperil » “Tt will not be worth clinging to, sir, unless I succeed in this enterprise!” I exclaimed pas- sionately. . Well, well—I have promised not to penetrate | into your motives: but let us think of the exe- cution of your design. What disguise will you adopt? Remember, those brigands have good memories and keen eyes; and having once seen you, they will scarcely fail to recollect you again— unless your disguise is so admirable «Let me reach the outskirts of the Apennines,” I said, “and I will find some adequate dis- guise !” « At least you will go well armed ?” rejoined the Captain; “and my pistols are at your service. Really, however, I know not whether I ought to permit you to embark on this mad _ enter- prise re “Tf I were held back, sir,’ IE exclaimed ve- hemently, “I should go raving mad—I should lay violent hands upon myself!” “ And it is only because I see you in this state,” observed Raymond, “that I can satisfy my own conscience in suffering you to persevere in your design. Indeed, I begin to think, now that I have calmed you down a little, that you must in- deed trust altogether to circumstances—and that it is impossible to lay down beforehand any par- ticular course of proceeding. Are you deter- mined ?” “So long as I am a free agent,” was my reso- lutely given response, “nothing shall hold me back !” “Then depart—and may suecess attend you! I am half inclined to offer to accompany you 73 “JT can do better alone, sir,” was my hastily given answer: “for if it eame to the crisis of standing on self-defence, two would have but little better chance than one against such numbers. Besides, the friendly-disposed bandit might possibly do for me—if in full confidence I seek him alone— that which he might hesitate to perform if I were accompanied by another.” “True!” remarked the Captain. ‘And now that I have detained you sufficiently to enable the effervescence of your feelings to subside into a more rational condition, I will not keep you any longer. There is that powerful horse of mine which I purchased the day before yesterday—it is at your disposal: there are my pistols, which you may take from my room: and here is a pecuniary subsidy—for money constitutes the sinew of war, and you may possibly find a use for it.” Thus speaking, Captain Raymond placed a roll of Florentine bank-notes in my hand; and I ac- companied him to his own apartment. He rang the bell, and ordered his horse to be gotten in readiness,—informing the waiter that he was going to despatch me upon an immediate journey. We will not let all the world know on what a wild Quixotic expedition you are bent,” he said, | ‘when the waiter had retired: “for news travel fast. For aught we know these banditti may have their spies and accomplices in Florence; and it would not do for the rumour of your enterprise to precede you on the way.” 1 sincerely thanked Captain Raymond for his 2 - prudential conduct, as well as for the kind aid he was rendering me; and when, having secured the pistols about my person, I was ready to depart, he shook me warmly by the hand, wishing me suc- cess. I mounted his horse; and issuing forth from the city, took the road towards Pistoja,—which, as I said on a former occasion, was about twenty- five miles distant from the Tuscan capital. I will not trouble the reader with my reflections during the ride: suffice it to say that though when I left Florence it was barely five o’clock in the afternoon, —yet owing to the badness of the road, the deep obscurity of the evening, and the caution I was compelled to observe through fear of missing my way, ib was past nine when I entered Pistoja. Here I was resolved to remain for the night, and resume my journey with the very first scintillation of dawn. It was necessary to allow the horse a proper time to rest ; and moreover I could not pos- sibly find my way amidst the passes of the Apen- nines in the darkness of the night. I did not even know whether I should be enabled in broad daylight to retrace the route I had pursued when in company with Miss Sackville; and as for in- quiring my way, unacquainted with the Italian language as I was—such a hope was altogether out of the question. I accordingly proceeded straight to the same inn at Pistoja where a relay of horses was obtained on the occasion above referred to. The waiter at this hotel spoke French with flu- ency ; and I was therefore enabled to make myself understood. I ordered refreshments; and while the man was attending upon me at supper, he said, “I believe you are a native of England— judging by your looks and your accent?” “Yes,” JI answered: and thinking that the waiter had not made the observation from mere curiosity, I said, “ Why do you ask me?” “ Because, sir,” he replied, “ there is a fellow- countryman of yours at the hotel, who met with a very severe accident the day before yesterday, and who in consequence is likely to remain here for some time.” “What is the nature of the accident?” I in- quired. The gentleman was travelling post from Florence; and when within about a league of Pistoja, the chaise was upset, and he was thrown so heavily that it produced concussion of the brain. He was brought on to the hotel; and at first it was thought his skull was fractured: but the medical man says he may recover, though he will be some weeks on a bed of illness. He is still perfectly unconscious of everything that is passing around him; and the surgeon and iandlord have been dis- cussing the propriety of having his papers ex- amined, so that his friends may be communicated with—because who knows the anxiety that may be experienced on account of his absence from where- soever he was expected to arrive ?”” “To be sure!” I exclaimed: “his papers ought to have been looked into at the very first e “Ah! it is very easy talking, sir,” interrupted the waiter; “but the contents of his pocket-book are all written in English, and there is no one here who can read them. That is why I took the liberty of asking if you were not a fellow- countryman of the unfortunate traveller.” “T shall have the greatest pleasure in rendering i (COUN Giyoo ‘S (C©@)