Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Forrest (7 ebook reader txt) 📗
- Author: Edmund William Forrest
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British Troops In India, And The Name Of Arthur Carlton Was Added To The
List Of Lieutenants Borne On The Muster Roll Of The Light Dragoons.
It Is Not Our Intention To Take The Reader Over The Battle Fields Of
Peshawa, Suffice It To Say That Our Dragoon, With His Regiment, Scoured
The Plains Of The Punjaub Up To The Very Mouth Of The Iron Kybre Itself,
Which Had Proved Fatal To So Many Of Our Gallant Countrymen.
A Group Of Officers Had Assembled Around The Withered And Charred Stump
Of A Large Tree, Chatting And Smoking, The Ruddy Glare Of The
Neighboring Camp Fire Throwing Its Fitful Light Upon The Uniform And
Accoutrements Of The Little Party, Showing Them To Be No Other Than Our
Old Friends Of H.M. Light Dragoons, Waiting For The Order To Commence
Their Morning'S March.
"Why Are We Not On The Move?" Enquired Major Hackett, As He Joined Them.
"Something Gone Wrong With The Baggage, I Suppose," Responded One Of The
Party, "But Here Comes Old Rations, (For It Was By This Name That The
Quartermaster Was Usually Styled By The Men Of His Regiment) He,
Perhaps, Can Tell Us Something About It."
"Well, Quartermaster, Can You Explain The Cause Of The Delay. Have You
Chapter 5 Pg 40Seen The Colonel, Or Are We To Be Kept Here All Day?" And The Major
Flung Away The End Of His Cigar With An Air Of Annoyance. The
Good-Humored Quartermaster Explained, In Somewhat Of A Round-About Way,
That Everything Would Be All Right In a Few Minutes.
"Out With It, Davison, Tell Us What Is The Row. You Don'T Laugh All Over
Your Face And Half Way Down Your Back For Nothing, I Know," Said Arthur,
Reining Up His Horse Alongside That Of The Quartermaster, Who, By The
Way, Was A Special Friend Of Our Young Lieutenant. "Just Illuminate And
Turn On The Gas A Little, As It Were."
"Well, Then, Gentlemen," Resumed That Worthy Functionary, "It Appears
That This Morning, On The Elephants Being Brought Up To Carry The Mess
And Hospital Tents, One Of The Number Was Found To Be Missing, And The
Muccadem Declared That It Was Useless To Attempt To Put Anything Extra
On The Others, For That They Would Not Stir A Peg If So Overloaded. I
Did Not Know What To Do In This Dilemma; The Tents Could Not Be Left
Behind, So I Sent For Fortescue, Who Was In charge Of The Government
Cattle, To Ask His Advice. In a Few Minutes He Came Cantering Up. I
Explained Matters. The Elephant Cannot Be Far Off." At This Moment A
Muccadem Came Running Up To Say That The Animal Was In The Jungle, About
A Quarter Of A Mile Off, But Was Refractory And Would Not Budge An Inch
In The Direction Of The Camp.
"Divide His Load Among The Other Four," Said Fortescue.
"But They Will Not Carry It, Sir," Replied The Native Inspector.
"I Know That As Well As You Can Tell Me, But Do As I Order You."
The Inspector Salammed And Obeyed, But The Animals Would Not Move. "Now
Take Off The Load From Two And Give Them A Couple Of Tether Chains."
This Was Done, The Loads Removed, And A Long Chain, Used For Camp
Purposes Given To Each, Who Caught Them Up With Their Trunks And Seemed
To Know Exactly What They Were Expected To Do With Them. They Were Then
Led Into The Jungle Where The Other One Was Said To Be.
"You Will See Some Fun Presently," Said Fortescue, And He Was Right, For
In A Very Short Time The Refractory Animal Was Seen Coming Into Camp At
The Top Of His Speed, Shrieking And Crying, Closely Followed By The
Other Two, Who Were Thrashing Him Soundly With The Chains That Had Been
Given To Them For That Purpose. There Is No Doubt They Gave Him To
Understand That They Did Not Intend To Carry His Load For Him.
I Have Heard Elephant Stories Before, But It Was Most Ridiculously
Absurd To See That Great Mountain Of Flesh Crying Like A Whipped Child,
Go Down On His Knees And Quietly Receive His Burden Without Any Attempt
To Hurt Or Molest His Keeper.
All The Baggage Was By This Time Off The Ground; The Regiment Got The
Order To Advance, Which They Did With Right Good Will, For Both Officers
Chapter 5 Pg 41And Men Of The Light Dragoons Were Equally Satisfied To Find Themselves
Once More Approaching Their Comfortable Quarters In Karricabad.
Chapter 6 Pg 42
Smiling Spring, With Her Ever-Changing Episode Of Sunshine And Tears,
Had Twice Come And Gone. The Gorgeous Fields Of Golden Grain Had For A
Second Time Bent Their Heads Beneath The Harvest Side, And The Autumnal
Tints Of Every Hue And Shade Had Again Fallen On The Rich Foliage Of The
Magnificent Old Woods Of Devon, While The Whirr Of The Pheasant In The
Preserves, And The Popping At The Partridges Among The Turnips,
Indicated That The Shooting Season Had Once More Commenced Over The
Broad Lands Around Vellenaux.
Things Wore Much The Same Aspect As They Had Done On Arthur'S Return
From College And Prior To His Departure For The Sunny Plains Of
Hindostan Some Eighteen Months Since. Sir Jasper Was Apparently Hale And
Hearty. Edith Had Finished Her Education, On Which Her Uncle Had Spared
No Expense, For Masters And Professors Had Been Procured From London To
Superintend Her Studies. She Was Perfectly Happy, Occasionally Receiving
Letters From Arthur, Which Always Afforded Her Much Pleasure To Peruse
And Think Over, And Frequently Would She Detect Herself Gazing Upon His
Photograph In The Pretty Little Locket He Had Sent Her From Oxford By
Tom Barton, And Which, Since His Departure, She Constantly Wore.
Ralph Coleman'S Visits Had Become More Frequent Of Late; This At First
Did Not Attract Edith'S Notice. She Had Never Been Prepossessed In His
Favour, But As Her Uncle'S Kinsman, And Being Heir To The Baronetcy, Her
Deportment To Him Had Ever Been Polite And Affable, But Subsequently His
Attentions Became So Marked That They Aroused Her To A Sense Of His Real
Meaning. Yet She Could Scarcely Bring Herself To Believe That Such Was
Really The Case, And But For The Delicate Hints And Inuendos That
Occasionally Fell From The Double Dealing Widow, She Would, There Is No
Doubt, Have Remained For A Much Longer Time Unconvinced Of His
Intentions Towards Her. However, Time Was Passing On And Ralph Made Up
His Mind To Bring Matters To The Point. One Lovely Afternoon, As He Was
Entering The Conservatory, He Espied The Fluttering Of A Woman'S Dress
Among The Shrubs And Flowers, And On Coming Nearer, Though Still At Some
Little Distance, Perceived A Lady Walking Slowly And As If In deep
Thought. Feeling Quite Certain That It Was No Other Than The One He Was
In Quest Of, And Thanking The Fates For Giving Him The Long Wished For
Opportunity, He Advanced More Quickly And Was Soon Beside Edith (For She
It Proved To Be) Before She Was Aware That Any One Was Near. Turning,
With Something Of A Surprised Look On Her Lovely Face, She Exclaimed,
Chapter 6 Pg 43"Oh, How You Startled Me. I Thought You Were On The Way To London. I Am
Quite Amazed To Find You Here."
"I Hope My Presence Is Not Distasteful To You," He Said, Gently, At The
Same Time Lifting His Hat And Bowing Low Before Her. He Really Cared
Nothing For The Beautiful Girl At His Side, For He Was Thoroughly
Selfish; Nor Did He Care By What Means Or How Low He Had To Stoop To
Gain Possession Of The Object Wished For.
Edith, Knowing Her Own Feelings, And Not Wishing To Say Aught To Hurt
Or Offend Him More Than Was Actually Necessary, Scarcely Knew How To
Answer Him, Disliking Him As She Did. Still She Had Nothing To Complain
Of, For He Had Ever Paid Her The Most Marked Respect. Before She Could
Frame Her Answer He Spoke Again, "Edith, I Have For Some Time Been
Wishing To Speak To You On A Subject Very Near My Heart. I Love You
Dearly And Have Long Done So, Will You Be My Wife, Or, At Least, Give Me
Some Hope That My Suit May Be Acceptable At Some Future Time? Only Give
Me One Encouraging Smile, One Ray Of Hope, And I Will Drudge On
Patiently Until You Bid Me Come To You."
"Oh No," Edith Replied, "You Must Not Wait, You Must Not Hope, I Can
Never Be Yours. Go, Leave Me." Before She Had Well Finished, Ralph
Coleman Had Seized Her Little White Hands In His Strong Grasp, And Said
In A Deep, Hoarse Voice, "Edith, I Ask You Again Will You Be Mine?"
Surprise, Astonishment, And A Feeling Very Like Indignation Took
Possession Of Edith.
"Mr. Ralph Coleman," She Said, "Before I Answer Any More Questions,
Release My Hands." As He Did So She Raised Her Head Proudly, And Turning
Towards Him With A Heightened Color, Said, "I Have Already Told You That
I Cannot Love You, And Am Surprised That It Is Not Sufficient. I Thank
You For The Honor You Intended, But Beg That You Will Never Mention This
Subject To Me Again."
As These Words Fell Upon His Ear, Ralph Coleman'S Face Changed And
Darkened Visibly, An Evil Light Came Into His Eyes, And An Ugly Frown
Contracted His Brow, Then, With A Smile, Whose Meaning Could Not Be
Mistaken, He Said:
"Take Care, Proud Girl, I Have Sworn That You Shall Be Mine, And By The
Heavens Above Us, I Intend To Keep My Vow, And Neither Man Nor Devil
Shall Turn Me From
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