Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Edmund William (best affordable ebook reader .txt) 📗
- Author: Edmund William Edmund William
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Her Death. Ralph Being Again Alone In The World, As It Were, Entered
Into All The Wild Dissipations Of Vienna And Paris, Which Ended In His
Ruin; And He Returned To England With Only A Five Pound Note Between Him
And Beggary. As The Cousin And Only Male Relative Of Sir Jasper Coleman,
He Was Heir To The Baronetcy But Not To The Property. This Was
Unentailed, And At The Will Of The Baronet; But Should He Die Intestate
The Whole Would Fall To Ralph.
But The Hope Of Succeeding To The Estate Banished, Or Was At Least, To
A Considerable Extent, Quashed, When He Learned That Miss Effingham Had
Been Adopted By Her Uncle, And That Likewise He Had Made A Protege Of
The Son Of His Old Friend Eustace Carlton, And Would No Doubt Eventually
Make A Will In Their Favor; But So Far As He Could Learn, Up To The
Present Time No Will Had Been Made. There Was A Degree Of Consolation In
This; But In The Meantime He Must Live; He Therefore Resumed His
Profession, And By Energy, And The Aid Of His Aristocratic Friends,
Succeeded In Obtaining A Tolerable Practice.
He Was On Pretty Good Terms With His Cousin, And Usually Went Down To
Devonshire For A Few Days During The Shooting Season, And On More Than
One Occasion Had Sir Jasper Spoken To Him Of The Future Career Of Young
Arthur; But The Lawyer Generally Managed To Evade The Subject By Saying
There Was Plenty Of Time To Think About That When The Youngster Should
Leave College, And Appeared To Interest Himself Very Little In The
Matter, Because He Did Not See In What Way The Youth'S Future Career
Could Affect Him; That Sir Jasper Might Assist Arthur With His Interest,
At The Outset, And Perhaps Give Him A Couple Of Hundred Pounds To Help
Him On In His Profession Or Calling, He Did Not At All Doubt; But Beyond
This Ralph Did Not Believe The Baronet Would Assist Him.
"Ah!" Said The Attorney, As He Took Up The Fourth Letter And Glanced At
The Postmark, "From Devonshire, And The Handwriting Is That Of Mrs.
Fraudhurst; What Can That Maneuvering Woman Have To Communicate? But We
Shall See, We Shall See," And At Once Opened The Letter. The Contents
Were Evidently Not Of An Agreeable Character, For His Brow Darken And
His Lips Were Firmly Compressed As He Read The Long And Closely Written
Epistle. At Its Conclusion He Moved For A Few Seconds Uneasily In His
Chair, Then Re-Folded The Letter And Placed It Carefully In His
Pocketbook. With His Head Resting On His Hand He Remained Sometime In
Deep Thought; Presently His Brow Became Clear And, Turning To His Desk,
Wrote Rapidly For The Space Of An Hour.
"Scrubbins," Said He, Addressing His Confidential (And Only) Clerk, "I
Am Going To Devonshire, But Will Return The Day After To-Morrow; You
Will Find Your Instructions On My Desk, And Now Give Me The Deeds; And
Remember, Should Any One Enquire For Me Tell Them I Am Gone To The
Country On Business, And Shall Be Back The Day After To-Morrow," And
Without Farther Comment, Ralph Coleman Passed Out Of The Office.
It Was A Still, Calm Night In early Autumn, The Silvery Moon Looked Down
From Her Deep Violet Throne Amidst The Starry Heavens; The Dull, Heavy
Sound Made By The Mighty Ocean, As Its Huge Waves Were Dashed Upon The
Sea-Beat Shore, Fell Audibly On The Ear In The Silent Night. A Light Sea
Breeze Swept Through The Furze Bushes That Were Scattered Over The
Downs, Across Which Lay The High Road Leading Past The Park.
Bridoon, The Old Gate Keeper, Was Seated On His Wooden Settle Within The
Porch Of The Lodge, Smoking A Long Clay Pipe, And Occasionally Quaffing
Long Draughts Of Rare Old Cider. He Was Just Thinking Of Turning In For
The Night, When A Vehicle Stopped, And A Voice Demanded Admittance. As
The Gates Swung Open A Gig And Its Occupant Passed Through And Proceeded
At A Smart Pace Along The Broad Avenue Towards The Mansion.
The Clock Of The Village Church Was Striking Ten As Ralph Coleman
Pulled Up At The Principal Entrance Of Vellenaux, And Was Met In The
Hall By Reynolds The Old Butler, And Conducted To The Room He Usually
Occupied When Visiting There During The Shooting Season.
"Sir Jasper," Said The Old Servant, "Has Retired For The Night, And Miss
Effingham Is On A Visit To The Willows, But Mrs. Fraudhurst Is, I
Believe, Still In The Drawing Room; Will You Please To Step In There
Until Supper Is Prepared For You." This Suited The Lawyer Exactly, As He
Wished To Have A Few Minutes Conversation With That Lady Previous To
Meeting The Baronet, For The Letter He Had Received From Mrs. Fraudhurst
Was So Cautiously Worded, That Although Sufficiently Explicit On Most
Points, There Were Some Portions Of It Which He Could Not Exactly
Understand, Or See In What Way He Ought To Act, But Doubtless She Would
Put Him Right On All Matters That Were To Be Brought Quietly To The
Notice Of Sir Jasper. While Making Some Addition To His Toilet, It
Occurred To Him That She Might Be Only Making A Cat'S Paw Of Him To
Feather Her Own Nest, But As He Could Not See Clearly How This Could Be,
Dismissed The Idea From His Mind, And Shortly After Made His Bow To The
Widow.
She Rose And Received Him Courteously; Apologised For The Absence Of The
Host And His Niece, Supposed He Would Feel Inclined To Retire Early, As
Doubtless He Would Wish To Rise At The Dawn Of Day, To Avail Himself Of
The Excellent Shooting Which Was To Be Had In The Turnip Fields, And Was
Altogether Very Chatty And Agreeable; But She In No Way Alluded To The
Letter She Had Written, To Him, He Was Therefore Compelled To Broach The
Subject, And Before The Supper Bell Rang, A Mutual Understanding As To
What Was To Be Said And Done Was Arrived At Between Them.
The Baronet And Mr. Coleman Breakfasted Alone On The Following Morning.
Edith Had Not Returned, And Mrs. Fraudhurst Excused Herself On The Plea
Of Indisposition, But Doubtless She Had Some Other Motive For Absenting
Herself.
"And You Found The Birds Plentiful, And In Good Condition," Enquired Sir
Jasper, As He Pushed Away His Plate, And Turned His Chair Towards The
Bright, Cheerful Fire Which Was Blazing In The Polished Grate, And
Stooping Down To Pat A Couple Of Pointers That Were Crouching
Comfortably On The Hearth Rug At His Feet.
"Yes, Indeed, Quite So, I Do Not Remember A Season When The Partridges
Have Been So Plump Or In Such Numbers, But Had Hoped To Have Had Your
Company This Morning, But Perhaps To-Morrow."
"So I Have Heard, But You Must Really Excuse Me, It Used To Be My Chief
Delight To Shoot Over The Grounds And Preserves On A Fine Autumn Morning
Like The Present One, But It Is Too Much For Me Now, And I Have Given It
Up, But I Like My Friends To Enjoy It. How Long Can You Stay This Time?"
"Only Three Days; I Cannot Be Absent From Town More Than That, But It Is
Well Worth The Journey To Shoot Over A Friends Property, Even If Only
For Three Days."
"Then You Must Make The Most Of Your Time; Old Tom The Game-Keeper Will
Show You The Best Covers And General Shooting Ground. I Wish You Could
Have Remained For A Week Or Two, The Young Fellows Belonging To The
Neighboring Families Will Be Home From School And College, And There
Will Be Plenty Of Popping Then, I Promise You. Ah! That Reminds Me That
Arthur Carlton Has Finished His Education, And Is Coming Home, And It Is
Not My Intention That He Should Again Return To Oxford; And Now We Are
Alone And Not Likely To Be Disturbed, I Wish You Would Give Me Your
Opinion As To What Profession Or Occupation It Would Be Best For Him To
Embark In. I Should Like To Give The Youngster A Fair Start In Life. I
Have Given Him The Education Of A Gentleman, And I Should Like Him To
Retain That Position."
This Was The Turn In The Conversation The Lawyer Had Been Anxiously
Waiting For, But He Seemed In No Hurry To Take Advantage Of It; He
Shifted His Position So That The Light Might Not Fall On His Features,
Took A Pinch Of Snuff And Crossed One Knee Over The Other Before He
Ventured An Opinion On The Subject.
"I Know So Very Little Of The Young Gentleman," He Began, "As Scarcely
To Be Able To Advise You On A Matter Of Such Moment, And Have Hitherto
Declined From So Doing On That Account, But As You So Desire It, I Will
Give My Opinion On The Matter According To The Best Of My Judgment."
"Thank You, Thank You, That Is All I Ask. Then," Resumed The Lawyer,
"The Road By Which A Young Man Of Education Can, By Perseverance, Hope
To Earn For Himself A Competency And A Good Position In The Social
Scale, Is That Of The Church, The Navy Or In The Military Service Of His
Country. As For The Pulpit, Unless The Aspirant Has A Special Tendency
For It, Or Some Good Friend Who Has A Living To Bestow, He Will Hardly
Realize A Sufficient Income To Support Himself As A Gentleman; And To
Send Him Up To London To Study Law, Or Medicine For Two Or Three Years
Would But Expose Him To The Temptations And Dissipations Of That Great
City, And It Would Take Years Of Drudgery Before He Would Be Able To
Obtain A Competency. In My Opinion The Safest And Most Expeditious Way
Of Proceeding Is To Put Him Into The Army; His Commission And Outfit Is
The Only Outlay, And Can Be Done At Once; His Position Is Established,
And It Only Remains With Himself To Rise In His Profession, And You Will
Be Relieved From All Care And Responsibility On His Account; But
Understand Me, I Do Not Mean That He Should Enter One Of The Regiments,
Now In england, To Loiter His Time Away At Some Country Quarters Or
Fashionable Watering Place, To Fall Into Debt, Difficulty, Love, Or Some
Other Absurd Scrape, But Put Him Into Some Corps That Is Now And Will Be
For Some Years Stationed Somewhere Abroad, India, For Instance, For I
Have Been, By Competent Authorities, Informed That There An Officer Can
Live Comfortably On The Pay Of His Rank.
"If He Is Abstemious, And Takes Care Of His Health, His Promotion Must
Ensue Without Purchase, And That, Too, In a Few Years. It Is A Prospect
That Thousands Of Youngsters Would Jump At, And One I Think That Is In
Every Way Suitable For Him; This Sir Jasper, Is All I Have To Offer On
This Subject."
This Advice Of Ralph Coleman'S, Although Given To Effect A Preconcerted
Scheme, Was So In Unison With The Baronet'S Views, That He Could But
Assent To What Had Been Uttered By Ralph, And The Lawyer Had The
Satisfaction Of Knowing, Ere He Left The Breakfast Room, That His
Suggestions Would Be Carried Out To The Letter; And Prior To His Return
To London He Had Another Interview With The Wily Widow, At Which He
Informed Her Of The Arrangement That Had Been Decided Upon By The
Baronet In Regard To Arthur Carlton'S Future Career. "He Will," Ralph
Went On To Say, "Be Thus Removed Out Of Harm'S Way For Several Years,
And Perchance May Never Again Cross Your Path, And I Have No Doubt While
Sir Jasper Lives Your Position Will Be Secure. I Have Served Your Turn
Without Benefitting Myself In any Way."
"Not So," Was The Lady'S Reply, "You Have But Been Paving The Way For
Your Own Advancement. Why Not Marry Edith, She Is Aware That The Title
Falls To You, But Is Ignorant Of The Fact That Her Uncle Has Made Her
Sole Heiress, And Girls Brought Up As She Has Been, Will Frequently
Overlook Much To Gain A Title, And Become The Envied Lady Of Vellenaux."
"With Young Carlton Out Of The Way, And Separated, As They Will Be, For
Years, Any Rising Passion She May Now Feel For Him Will Soon Die Out,
And If You Make Your Advances With Caution, And Be Not Too Precipitate,
I Have No Doubt That You Will Eventually Secure Both The Lady And The
Estate, So Of The Two, I Fancy That You Have Rather The Best Of The
Bargain." And After A Little More Conversation On The Subject, This
Worthy Pair Parted.
And Now Let Us Introduce The Youth Whose Future Welfare Had Been The
Difficulty About Which The Widow And Ralph Had Given Themselves So Much
Concern.
A
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