Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Forrest (best book club books of all time txt) 📗
- Author: Edmund William Forrest
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Clearing The Wreck And Getting Things Into Trim Again; Although A Number
Were Hurt, Some Slightly, Others More Seriously, There Were None
Reported Actually Killed; And A Great Number Of The Passengers Were More
Frightened Than Hurt.
"This Way," Said An Official To Some Four Or Five Men, Who Were Carrying
A Gentleman That Appeared To Be More Seriously Injured Than Any Of The
Rest. "Lay Him Down Softly On That Grassy Bank;" Then Raising His Voice
Called Out, "Is There Any Medhal Man At Hand?"
"Here, Draycott, Although On Leave You Must Come To The Rescue. Horrid
Bore To Be Thus Detained, Is It Not," Said Arthur, As They Hastened To
The Spot.
"Fall Back There, Men, Fall Back; Give The Gentleman More Air, And Let
The Doctor Pass." At The Decided And Authoritative Tone Of Carlton's
Voice The Crowd, Who By This Time Had Gathered Around The Sufferer, Gave
Way. The Surgeon Went To Work Immediately And Examined The Unfortunate
Chapter 14 Pg 91Man Thoroughly. "Bad Case," He Said In A Whisper To Carlton. "Broken
Thigh Bone, Ribs Crushed, And Something Worse Internally, I Am Afraid."
At This Moment Carlton Got A Good Look At The Features Of The Injured
Man. "Can It Be Possible! Yes, It Is Sir Ralph Coleman!" At The Mention
Of His Name The Baronet Opened His Eyes And, For A Second Or Two, Looked
Fully At The Speaker, Then Said With A Great Effort, For Pain Had
Hitherto Kept Him Silent:
"Yes, Arthur Carlton, It Is I. How Came You Here? Do Not Leave Me." And
Here Sir Ralph Fainted From Loss Of Blood.
"Is There A Public House Or Farm Near?" Enquired Carlton.
"Yes," Replied One Of The Bystanders, "There Is Farmer Wheatley's Just
Down There In The Hollow; They Will Do What They Can For The Poor
Gentleman."
"I Will Pay The Men Well That Will Carry Him There," Said Carlton,
Addressing A Number Of Farmers' Men, Who Had By This Time Come Up. The
Rank Of The Injured Man, And The Offer Of Payment, Had A Wonderful
Effect. A Dozen Volunteered, At Once. A Gate Was Taken Off Its Hinges,
And Some Of The Cushions Of The Injured Carriage Placed Upon This Litter
And, Under The Direction Of Doctor Draycott, Sir Ralph Was Conveyed To
The Farm House In The Hollow.
"You Seemed To Be Well Acquainted With My Patient," Said Draycott.
"Oh, Yes. He Is Sir Ralph Coleman, Of Vellenaux. He Succeeded To The
Title And Estate On The Death Of Sir Jasper, Miss Effingham's Uncle, By
Which She Was Left Almost Penniless. You Have Heard Her History, I
Suppose, In India. These Things Always Leak Out Somehow Or Other In The
Service."
"In That Case, My Dear Fellow, I Must Go No Further Than The Door With
You. To The Best Of My Belief He Will Not Live More Than Eight Hours,
And I Must Have Other Opinion And Advice In His Case. I Think It Would
Be As Well To Have The Clergyman And A Lawyer Without Loss Of Time. He
May Have Something Of Importance To Communicate To You Or Miss Effingham
Ere He Dies, For I Have Some Indistinct Notion That I Have Heard
Something Very Unfavorable Spoken About The Said Baronet, Now I Hear The
Name Again. Let Him Be Got To Bed As Soon As Possible. What Is The Name
Of Your Nearest Town, And The Distance To It?" Enquired Draycott Of The
Farmer.
"Fallowfield Is About Two Miles From Here, Sir. There Is A Good Road And
No One Could Miss It," Was The Reply.
"Let Me Have A Horse And I Will Go Myself And Get What I Require;
Captain Carlton Will Remain Until I Return," And The Young Surgeon Was
Soon On His Way At A Hand Gallop. In The Meantime The Good People Of The
Farm Were Doing All In Their Power To Render The Sufferings Of Their
Wounded Guest As Little Painful As Possible; And Every Attention Was
Shown Him. He Spoke But Little; But Several Times Asked For Carlton, And
On Seeing Him Only Repeated, "Do Not Leave Me Yet, Arthur, I May Have
Something To Say Concerning You And Miss Effingham."
In Less Time Than Could Have Been Expected, Draycott Returned,
Accompanied By The Best Surgeon In Fallowfield, The Rector, And A Lawyer
Of Good Standing In That Town. Again The Patient Was Examined, After
Which A Consultation Was Held In The Farmer's Parlour, Which Lasted
About A Quarter Of An Hour; The Medical Men Then Returned To The
Bed-Chamber.
Chapter 14 Pg 92
The Baronet Scrutinized Their Features Narrowly As They Re-Entered The
Room. "Oh!" Said He, Breathing With Intense Difficulty, "I See There Is
No Hope For Me; But Tell Me Frankly, How Long Is It Your Opinion That I
Can Live?"
"Doctor Draycott And Myself," Replied The Surgeon From Fallowfield--Who
Being Much The Senior Took The Lead--"Deem It Expedient That You Should
Send For Your Man Of Business As Soon As Possible," Thus Evading The
Direct Question.
Ralph Passed His Hand Across His Brow And Remained Silent A Few Moments.
"You May Do So, But It Is Too Late I Am Afraid. Get The Nearest Lawyer
You Can, But Be Quick For My Strength Is Failing Fast, And Send Captain
Carlton To Me At Once."
"Arthur," He Continued, As The Young Man Advanced, "I Have Deeply
Wronged Edith And Yourself: In The Breast Pocket Of That Coat Yonder Is
A Paper Packet, Bring It To Me." Arthur Obeyed And Placed It On The
Counterpane. Ralph Laid His Hand Upon It And Said, "There Is Yet Time
To Make Restitution. This Is The Will Of The Late Sir Jasper Coleman,
Stolen From His Desk On The Morning Of His Death. Has The Lawyer Sent
For Yet Arrived? If So, I Will Give My Deposition On Oath, Ere It Is Too
Late: I Am Not A Principal, But An Accessory. After The Fact--" Here Sir
Ralph Fell Back On The Pillow, And Remained Motionless Several Minutes,
During Which Time The Rector And Lawyer Had Been Summoned From The
Parlor Below. The Rector Being A Magistrate Undertook To Put A Few
Questions To The Dying Man Before He Gave, His Testimony. When
Sufficiently Recovered To Speak, The Baronet, In A Husky Voice, Related
The Whole Of His Interview With Mrs. Fraudhurst, Her Production Of The
Will And The Compact Entered Into Between Them. The Document Was Sworn
To, Signed And Duly Witnessed By Those Present.
"Arthur Give This Will Into The Hands Of Miss Effingham, Or Her Legal
Adviser, And Obtain Her Forgiveness For Me." This The Gallant Soldier
Faithfully Promised To Do. The Room Was Then Cleared Of All Except The
Rector And The Dying Baronet. He Lingered Until Sometime After Midnight,
And Ere The Light Of Another Day Dawned, His Spirit Had Passed Away, And
The Baronetcy Became Extinct.
During The Following Day Mr. Russell, The Agent, Arrived, And Arthur, In
The Name Of Miss Effingham, Authorized Him To Settle All Claims, And
Have The Body Of The Late Sir Ralph Conveyed To Vellenaux For Interment.
Having Thus Arranged Matters, Captain Carlton And His Friend Draycott
Started By The Next Train For London.
Chapter 15 Pg 93It Was By No Means An Uncommon Occurrence For Sir Ralph To Absent
Himself From Home For A Day Or Two Without Communicating To Any One His
Intentions Or The Direction In Which He Was Going, Therefore His Absence
At The Dinner Table In The Evening Did Not Excite Any Misgivings In The
Mind Of Mrs. Fraudhurst, But His Non-Appearance At The Breakfast Table
The Following Morning Caused Considerable Disquietude To That Amiable
Person. Hurried On By Her Ambition She Had Aimed At Too High A Prize,
And In So Doing Had Let Slip The Reins Of Power. The Possession Of The
Chapter 15 Pg 94Will Was The Only Hold She Had Ever Had On The Baronet And Now When Too
Late She Perceived, To Her Dismay, The Awkward Position In Which She
Stood. Ever Suspicious Of The Motives Of Others; She Now Tormented
Herself With Apprehensions Concerning His Absence, And The Business That
Could Have Taken Him Away At That Particular Time. From The Servants She
Could Gain No Information Regarding His Movements; But It Occurred To
Her That Old Bridoon, The Gate-Keeper, Could Throw Some Light On The
Subject, And Therefore Determined To Lose No Time In Questioning Him As
To The Direction Taken By His Master.
The Person Who Had Been Despatched To Southampton To Summon Mr. Russell,
The Agent, Found The Gentleman In Question Had Gone To Vellenaux, And
Thinking From What He Had Overheard That It Was A Matter Of Considerable
Importance, Made No Longer Delay In That Good Town Than Was Actually
Necessary, But Took The First Train To Switchem, And From Thence On Foot
To The Lodge Gates, And Walked Quickly Up The Avenue; When Near The Lawn
He Encountered Mrs. Fraudhurst, Who, Noticing Him To Be A Stranger And
In Haste, Accosted Him And Enquired His Business.
"I Am Looking For Mr. Russell, My Lady," Was His Reply.
"He Resides In Southampton; But Where Have You Come From, And Who Is It
That Wishes To See Him?"
"Sir Ralph Coleman, My Lady, Has Met With An Accident About Two Miles
From Fallowfield, And Is Not Expected To Live Long. He Has Sent For His
Agent, And I Have Been To Southampton, But Was Told That I Should Find
Him Here."
The Widow Started And Turned Deadly Pale. "He Has The Will With Him,"
She Thought.
"I Beg Pardon, My Lady, For Being So Abrupt,--Perhaps You Are Lady
Coleman," For He Noticed Her Start And Change Color.
"Pray Go On, My Good Fellow, And Tell Me
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