Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Edmund William (best affordable ebook reader .txt) 📗

It Was Declared To Be The Identical Will Drawn By The

Hammersmith Lawyer,  And Witnessed By His Two Clerks Several Years Ago;

This Was Duly Sworn To,  And Certain Other Documentary Evidence Taken

Down,  And The Three Gentlemen Returned To Their Homes In Hammersmith,

Each Twenty Guineas Richer Than When He Had Left It In The Morning.

 

Now,  Although There Was No One To Contest The Will,  Yet There Were

Certain Legal Technicalities And Forms To Be Gone Through Before Edith

Could Take Formal Possession Of Vellenaux,  Besides These Same Lawyers

Had Been Empowered To Draw Up The Marriage Contract,  Settlements,  Etc.,

Between Her And Arthur,  The Doing Of Which Would Take A Considerable

Time,  Much Longer Perhaps Than The Ardent Lover Might Think Necessary.

Edith Would Not Hear Of Her Dear Arthur Remaining In The Service After

Their Marriage; So Arrangements Were Made For The Selling Of His

Commission; This Sum,  Together With The Amount Bequeathed To Him By The

Late Sir Jasper,  Would Put Him In Possession Of Seven Thousand Pounds.

 

It Was Planned That The Wedding Should Take Place At The Old Fashioned

Church At Vellenaux. There Was To Be No Wedding Tour,  But The Bridal

Party And A Large Number Of Friends Were To Proceed To Castle Audly,  The

Seat Of Lord De Belton,  Who Had Served In arthur'S Regiment,  And Had

Been Intimately Acquainted With Him For A Few Years In India. Castle

Audly Was A Very Ancient And Romantic Pile,  And Quite The Show Place Of

The Country,  Here There Was To Be A Magnificent _Fete Champetre,

Dejeuner A La Fourchette_,  With Archery And Other Amusements Provided By

The Noble Owner; The Whole Party Were To Return And Dine At Vellenaux,

And Wind Up The Entertainment By A Grand Ball At Night.

 

"Of Course,  My Dear Carlton," Said Horace Barton To That Young Gentleman

One Afternoon While Lounging In The Drawing Room In berkly Square

Waiting To Attend The Fair Edith In a Canter Through Hyde Park,  "Of

Course You Will Stand For The County At The Next General Election? Sir

Sampson French,  Who Is Too Old To Again Take Office,  Will,  I Am Certain,

Retire In Your Favour,  If You Will Only Come Forward As A Candidate; You

Have Plenty Of Friends And Admirers In and Around Vellenaux To Ensure

Your Return If Properly Canvassed. A Man Of Your Ability And Standing In

Society Cannot Afford To Remain Idle At Such A Time,  Though He May Have

A Rich Wife To Back Him."

 

"I Should Like To Get Into Parliament Above All Things,  And Certainly

Shall Endeavour So To Do,  Providing Edith Gives Her Consent,  And The

Good Folks Of The County Will Give Me Their Support," Was Arthur'S Reply

As The Lady Of His Love Made Her Appearance Equipped For The Ride.

 

It Had Been The Intention Of The Bartons,  To Return To Devonshire

Immediately After,  The Ball In berkly Square,  But The Sudden Appearance

Of Captain Carlton With The Startling Announcement Of The Accidental

Death Of Sir Ralph Coleman And The Disclosures Made By The Unhappy Man

Ere He Breathed His Last,  Caused Them To Put Off Their Intended

Departure For Some Weeks,  Until Matters Were _En Train_ For Establishing

The Validity Of Edith'S Claim To The Estate Of Her Late Uncle.

 

Aunt Cotterell And Her Good Humored Husband Had,  Without The Knowledge Of

Any Of Their Friends,  Built A Handsome House On The Bank Of The Brook

Which Ran Between Tom Bartons And The Rectory; Besides This,  Mrs.

Ashburnham Had Confidently Whispered To Cousin Kate That Her Dear

William Was About To Give Up His Practice Which,  For The Last Fifteen

Years,  He Had Labored At So Assiduously And Successfully,  And That He

Was Now Actually Arranging For The Purchase Of That Very Pretty Villa

And Grounds Just Beyond The Willows,  As Its Owner,  Sir Edmund Wildacres

Had,  By Racing And Other Gambling Proclivities,  Managed To Run Through

And Overdraw His Cash Account At His Bankers,  So That His Landed

Property Had To Come To The Hammer,  And,  The Young Spendthrift Was About

To Retire To Some Cheap Continental Watering Place Until Some Of His

Antiquated Relatives Should Be Condescending Enough To Shuffle Off This

Mortal Coil And Resign Their Purses And Property To His Careful

Control. And With Edith And Arthur Settled At Vellenaux,  There Would Be

Formed At Once A Happy Circle,  Bound Together By Ties Of Family

Affection And Disinterested Friendship,  And With Such Supporters As

These To Canvass His Cause,  Arthur'S Return,  As County Member,  Might Be

Looked Upon As Amounting Almost To A Certainty.

 

The Lovers Did Not Fail To Take Advantage Of The Extension Of Time To Be

Spent In The Great Metropolis,  And Balls Parties,  Operas,  And Galleries

Of The Arts And Sciences,  Exhibitions Of Pictures And Such Other

Amusements As Best Suited The Tastes And Inclinations Of These Two,  For

The Time Being,  Devoted Votaries Of Pleasures,  Were Visited. There Was

Another Most Important Matter That Had To Be Attended To,  And This Was

One That Entailed Numberless Visits To And From Madam Carsand'S In bond

Street,  Store & Martimer'S,  Waterloo Place,  And Other Fashionable

Emporiums,  Where The Numerous Articles,  Indispensable To The Trousseau

And Toilette Of A Young And Beautiful Heiress.

 

It Will Be Remembered That In The Search For The Begum Of Runjetpoora,

Carlton Had Brought Away With Him In His Sabretache A Small Steel Casket

As A Trophy; After His Return From The Fort,  And While Dressing For

Mess,  He Remembered This Circumstance,  And Was About To Open And Examine

The Casket And Had Already Taken It In His Hand For That Purpose,  When

Footsteps Were Heard Approaching The Tent,  And Not Wishing Others,  To

See His Little Prize He Carelessly Tossed It Into An Open Trunk,  Among

His Wearing Apparel,  Where It Remained Undisturbed Until After His

Arrival In england,  When,  In Looking Over His Wardrobe He Came Across

The Identical Casket Which Had Lain There So Long And By Him Quite

Forgotten. Unable Without The Key To Open It Himself,  He Sent For A

Locksmith,  Who,  In a Very Short Time Caused The Lid To Spring Open,

When,  To Arthur'S Surprise And Delight It Was Found To Contain A Number

Of Precious Stones Of Great Value,  In Fact It Was The Begum'S Jewel

Case,  Containing Diamonds Of The First Water,  Rubies Of Unusual Size,

And Pearls Of Great Price,  Which,  On Being Taken To A Jeweler,  Proved To

Be Worth,  Somewhere About Ten Thousand Pounds. Arthur,  Although By No

Means A Man Of Business Habits,  Knew Enough To Convince Him That This

Sum,  Together With The Five Thousand Pounds Left Him By Sir Jasper

Coleman,  With What Might Be Realized By The Sale Of His Commission,  If

Properly Invested,  Would Secure To Him An Income Of Not Less Than Twelve

Hundred A Year,  A Very Pretty Sum For A Man To Have Of His Own For

Pocket Money,  Although His Wife Should Happen To Possess Twenty Thousand

A Year. He Determined To Carry Out This Arrangement As Soon As Any

Suitable Opportunity For So Doing Came To His Knowledge,  But With The

Exception Of Draycott He Told No One Of The Begum'S Jewels,  Or His

Intentions Concerning Their Disposal.

 

 

 

Chapter 20

 

 

The Happy,  Light Dragoon,  In Order To Be Near The Lady Of His Love,  Had

Taken Up His Quarters At Harold'S Hotel,  In albermarle Street,  A Very

Quiet,  But Aristocratic Place,  Leading Into Picadilly. Beyond The

Bartons And Their Family Circle,  He Had Few Intimate Friends,  In Fact,

Except Draycott,  The Surgeon Of His Regiment,  With Whom He Had Been On

The Most Intimate Terms For Years In India,  And To Whom He Revealed All

His Joys And Sorrows,  There Was Not One Male Friend He Cared A Jot For

In London; Of Course The Men Of His Club,  And Those He Had Met Abroad,

Who,  Like Himself,  Were Now Home On Leave,  Dropped In Upon Him

Occasionally At His Rooms; But His Constant Visitor And Companion In His

Peregrinations Through The Labyrinths Of The Great Babylon During The

Height Of A London Season,  Was Draycott: He Was Young,  Clever,  High

Principled,  Thoroughly Good Natured,  And Of An Old County Family. He Had

But Once Only Paid A Flying Visit To The Metropolis Previous To Joining

His Regiment In India,  And Now Having A Few Pounds To Spare,  Was

Determined To Enjoy Himself In The Gay Capital To His Heart'S Content,

And Whenever Practicable,  Induced Arthur To Give Him His Society.

 

They Had Been Breakfasting Together,  One Morning In The Latter'S

Apartment,  And Were Discussing Numerous Scenes And Things At Home And

Abroad In Which They Had Both Participated; Nor Was Arthur'S

Approaching Marriage With Edith Effingham,  And His Idea Of Leaving The

Service,  Left Uncommented Upon By His Old Friend.

 

"Well," Remarked Draycott,  With A Gay,  Good Natured Laugh,  "After Your

Adventures And Hair-Breadth Escapes,  Together With Your Great Good Luck

In Winning The Beautiful Heiress,  It Would Not Surprise Me In The Least

If Some Old Fairy Godmother Dropped From The Clouds And Transformed You

Into A Gallant Young Prince Of Some Beautiful Isle Of The Sea,  Yielding

Untold Wealth,  Like The Isle Of The Famous Count De Monte Cristo." Here

The Conversation Was Interrupted By The Entrance Of The Waiter,  Who

Handed Arthur A Card,  Which Announced That A Mr. A.G. Capias,  Of The

Firm Of Docket & Capias,  Solicitors,  Bedford Row,  Desired To Speak With

Him On Business Of A Private Character.

 

"More Parchment And Red Tape Work Cut Out For You To-Day," Remarked The

Surgeon,  "So I Am Off,  But Will Drop In Later In The Day."

 

"Now,  My Good Fellow,  Oblige Me By Remaining Where You Are Until This

Matter--Be It What It May--Is Disposed Of,  And I Will Then Stroll Out

With You," Said Carlton. Then,  Turning To The Waiter,  Said,  "Show The

Gentleman Up At Once." The Obsequious Attendant Bowed And Withdrew.

 

In A Few Moments The Door Was Thrown Open,  And A Spruce,  Dapper Looking

Gentleman,  Clothed In Sombre Colored Garments,  Irreproachable Linen,  And

Carrying A Small Merino Bag In His Hand,  Was Ushered In.

 

"I Believe I Have The Pleasure Of Speaking To Captain Arthur Carlton Of

H.M. Light Dragoons," Said That Individual,  As He Advanced Towards The

Table,  At Which The Two Friends Were Seated.

 

"Late Of The Light Dragoons," Replied Carlton,  "For I Have Sold Out--Or,

What Amounts To The Same Thing,  I Have Directed The Army Agent To Do

So"--Pointing As He Spoke To A Vacant Chair.

 

The Man Of Law Availing Himself Of This Piece Of Politeness Took The

Chair,  Placing His Bag On The Carpet At His Feet.

 

"And What May Be Your Pleasure Or Business With Me? You May Speak Out,"

Said Carlton,  Noticing The Glance That His Visitor Threw At The Surgeon,

"That Gentleman Is My Most Intimate Friend And Brother Officer."

 

"I Have A Few Questions To Ask Concerning Your Father And Grandfather,

The Answering Of Which May Lead To Something,  I Have No Doubt,  Will,  At

No Distant Date,  Prove Of Much Importance To You And Yours," Was The

Reply.

 

"Proceed Then," Said Arthur,  "With Your Interrogations,  And I Will Reply

To The Best Of My Ability,  Though I Must Candidly Confess That I Know

Very Little Of The Early History Of My Father,  And Still Less Of My

Grandfather,  For They Both Spent So Many Years Abroad,  In India And On

The European Continent."

 

Mr. Capias Hereupon Drew From His Bag A Small Bundle Of Letters And

Papers And Arranged Them On The Table In Front Of Him,  Then Commenced

His Enquiries As Follows:

 

"Will You Be So Good As To State The Name And Position Of Your Father,

His Place Of Birth,  The School Or College Where He Was Educated,  And The

Place Of Residence At His Decease."

 

"Arthur Howard Carlton,  Colonel Of Cavalry In The Service Of Her

Majesty,  Born At Montazuena,  In Mexico,  Educated At Rugby,  And Died At

Exeter,  Devonshire,  England,  In The Fifty-Sixth Year Of His Age,  Leaving

But One Son,  Your Obedient Servant," Here Arthur Bowed In a Somewhat

Stately Manner To His,  Interrogater.

 

"Exactly So," Said The Lawyer,  Glancing At A Paper He Held In His Hand,

Which He Then