Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Forrest (best book club books of all time txt) 📗

All About That Accident,  Where

The Baronet Is,  And Who Is With Him,  And All You Know Concerning This

Sad Affair."

 

The Man Related All He Knew,  And Something That He Had Heard. "The

Gentleman That Sent Me For Mr. Russell They Called Captain Carlton." At

This Name She Again Started,  And,  In Spite Of Herself,  Trembled

Perceptibly,  But The Man Went On--

 

"There Was Something Said About A Stolen Will,  Which Sir Ralph Wanted To

Enquire About,  Or Something Of That Sort,  And I Am In Great Haste."

 

"Stay One Moment. Did You Say Sir Ralph Was Not Expected To Live?"

 

"The Doctors Said He Could Not Last More Than A Few Hours."

 

By This Time She Had Recovered Her Presence Of Mind. "Mr. Russell," She

Said,  "Was Here This Morning,  But Has Returned To Southampton; You Must

Have Passed Him On Your Way Here; Return My Good Fellow As Quickly As

You Can,  And Let Him Know All That You Have Told Me." She Gave Him A

Sovereign And Said,  "I Will Be There Almost As Soon As Yourself."

 

The Man Took The Coin With A Bow,  And Started For The Railway Station,

And Mrs. Fraudhurst Returned To The House,  Where She Well Knew Mr.

Russell Then Was Settling Home Matters With The Steward. She Went

Directly To Her Own Apartment To Form Plans Of Immediate Action. "Arthur

Is In England,  Sir Ralph Dying,  The Will Found In His Possession; He Has

Made A Confession Of The Whole,  Implicating Me; He Must Have Done So,  Or

Chapter 15 Pg 95

How Could That Messenger Have Heard Of The Stolen Will. Idiot That I

Was,  To Trust It Out Of My Own Keeping. My Only Safety Is In Instant

Flight. I Must Place The Wide Waste Of Waters Between Me And The

Consequences That Must Inevitably Await Me Should I Remain Here After

The Disclosure Becomes Known Throughout The Country." She Then

Commenced To Pack Up Her Wardrobe And Valuables. Her Plan Was Soon

Arranged. She Then Descended To The Drawing Room And Rang For Old

Reynolds,  Who Answered The Summons. "Has Mr. Russell Left The House?"

She Enquired,  And On Receiving An Answer In The Negative,  Desired That

He Might Be Informed That She Wished To Speak To Him,  "And Return

Yourself,  Reynolds,  For I Have Something Of Importance To Communicate To

Both Of You."

 

In A Few Minutes The Agent Entered,  She Requested Him To Be Seated.

"Reynolds,  You Too Will Remain;" Then Addressing Mr. Russell Said,  "I

Have Just Received The Intelligence That Sir Ralph Has Met With An

Accident,  By Rail,  Resulting,  I Am Told,  In A Broken Limb,  Which May

Detain Him For Some Days At The Farm House Where He Now Lies; He Has

Requested Me To Attend Him,  And Bring Such Things As I May Deem

Necessary,  And Further Directs That You Will Call Over And See Him

Sometime To-Morrow." She Then Gave Orders To The Butler To Pack Up

Several Changes Of His Master's Linen,  And Underclothing In A Large

Trunk And Have It Sent To Her Room,  As She Had Bandages,  Flannel,  And

Other Things That It Might Be Necessary To Place Therein. This Was

Accordingly Done,  But As Soon As Alone She Emptied The Trunk Of Its

Contents,  And Filled It With Her Own Apparel. The Carriage Was Then

Ordered Round,  The Trunks Put In,  And Mrs. Fraudhurst,  Who Had Found A

Home There For Upwards Of Twenty Years,  Left Vellenaux Never Again To

Return To It.

 

"She Has Baggage Enough For The Seik Men Of A Whole Troop," Remarked

Bridoon As She Passed Through The Park Gates.

 

On Arriving At The Station Her First Act Was To Dismiss The Carriage,

The Next To Take A Ticket For Exeter,  And In A Snug Hostlery In That

City Made An Addition To Her Toilette,  Then Ordered A Cab And Proceeded

To The Principal Bank.

 

"I Wish To See The Manager," She Said,  With A Condescending Smile. The

Obsequious Cashier Led The Way To The Sanctum,  And Ushered Her In,  For

He Knew The Visitor Well,  And Also Knew That Opposite Her Name In The

Books Of The Establishment There Was An Array Of Figures,  Representing

A Goodly Amount Of The Current Coin Of The Realm.

 

In About Ten Minutes The Lady,  Accompanied By The Manager,  Returned,  And

Presented A Cheque For The Full Amount Of Her Deposit,  Which Was Paid In

Gold And Notes. This Circumstance Did Not Much Surprise The Banker,  For

She Had Done The Same On Three Or Four Occasions During The Last Seven

Years,  Re-Depositing The Same Amount A Few Hours After. She Was Then

Politely Bowed Into Her Cab And Was Driven Off. Having Settled Her Bill

At The Hotel,  She Drove Down To The Railway Station And Procured A

Ticket For Queenstown,  Ireland,  And By The Time Mr. Russell Arrived At

The Farm House To Attend Sir Ralph,  Mrs. Fraudhurst Was Airing Herself

At The Cove Of Cork. Her Object In Misleading The Man Who Had Been Sent

To Acquaint The Agent With What Had Occurred To Sir Ralph,  Had Thus Been

Effected: That Of Gaining Time To Enable Her To Quit The Country Before

Steps Could Be Taken To Arrest Her.

 

"There Is Not A Finer Craft Swims The Ocean Than The Beauty That Lays

Out Yonder," Said A Weather-Beaten Old Seaman To A Group Of Sailors,

Watermen,  And Others,  Who Were Lounging About The Dockhead And

Commenting On The Merits Of A First-Class,  Clipper-Built,  Full Rigged

Vessel That Was Lying In The Cove,  Her Sails Loosed And The Blue Peter

Or Signal For Sailing,  Flying At The Fore.

Chapter 15 Pg 96

"You May Well Say That With Your Own Purty Mouth,  For It's Yourself That

Knows That Same,  Cornelius O'donovan,  For Wasn't It Yourself That Made

The First Trip In Her,  And Isn't Captain Costigan A Blood Relation Of

Your Own,  And Sure A Smarter Boy Than Him That Has The Handling Of Her

Isn't To Be Found Between This And Bantry Bay."

 

"It Is Her Fourth Trip To The Cape Of Good Hope," Resumed The First

Speaker,  Knocking The Ashes Out Of His Pipe,  And Preparing To Refill It.

Just Then A Lady,  Dressed In The Height Of The Prevailing Fashion,

Advanced,  And Of One Of The Party Enquired The Name Of The Ship,  And The

Port To Which She Was Bound.

 

"The 'Kaffir Chief,' Outward Bound For The Cape Of Good Hope," Was The

Reply Of The Waterman Who Had Been Addressed. "Shall I Put You On Board,

My Lady?"

 

"Not At This Moment,--But When Does She Sail?"

 

"She Will Up Anchor And Top Her Boom At Sunset," Answered Another Of The

Bystanders.

 

"They Are Lowering A Boat," Said The Old Tar,  Who Had First Spoken,  Who

Was Now Taking A Squint At Her Through A Small Pocket Telescope; "It Is

The Skipper Coming Ashore For His Papers,  Mails,  And Perhaps To Jack Up

Some Stray Passengers."

 

"You Would Oblige Me By Telling The Captain That A Lady Wishes To Speak

To Him As Soon As He Lands,  And Then See If You Can Manage To Drink My

Health At Yonder Little Public House," And Mrs. Fraudhurst Here Held Out

A Crown Piece To The Old Seaman,  Who Gladly Accepted The Offered Coin.

"What Did You Say The Captain's Name Was?" It Was Immediately Given.

"Then Be Good Enough To Tell Captain Costigan That He Will Find Me

Waiting For Him Beneath Those Trees Yonder," She Said,  As She Turned And

Walked In The Direction Indicated.

 

"Pretty Spoken Woman That; Devilish Good Looting,  Too; What Can She Want

With Old Castigan?" Remarked One Of The Party.

 

"Missed Her Passage In The Last Ship,  Perhaps,  And Wants To Know If

There Be Any Room In The 'Kaffir Chief,'" Replied Another Of The

Bystanders,  "Go Over At Once To The 'Jolly Sailor'; I Will Be With You

As Soon As I Deliver The Lady's Message,  And Then We Will Drink Her

Health," Said The Old Salt Who Had Received The Lady's Bounty.

 

"Captain Costigan,  Of The 'Kaffir Chief,' I Believe," Said Mrs.

Fraudhurst As She Advanced From Under The Trees,  From Whence She Had

Been Watching His Approach.

 

"The Same At Your Service Madam," Was The Reply Of The Polite Seaman,  As

He Lifted His Glazed Hat And Bowed To The Person Who Addressed Him.

 

"I Have,  Unfortunately,  Lost My Passage In The 'Eastern Monarch,' Which

Sailed Some Days Since From London,  And Am Anxious To Return To The Cape

With As Little Delay As Possible. I Noticed In The Newspaper That Your

Vessel Was Bound To That Port,--Am I Too Late,  Or Have You Room For

Another?" The Captain Eyed Her For A Moment,  And Apparently Satisfied

With His Scrutiny,  Replied:

 

"I Have But Few Passengers,  And There Is A First-Class Berth Vacant,

With Excellent Accommodation. You Will I Trust Take A Sailor's Word For

That,  As The Time Is Short,  And I Sail At Sunset."

Chapter 15 Pg 97

"The Truth And Honesty Of Our Sailors Are Proverbial," Said The Lady

With One Of Her Blandest Smiles. He Then Accompanied Her To The Hotel;

Here Matters Were Quickly Arranged,  The Passage Money Paid Down,  And

Captain Costigan Promised To Call For Her,  And Convey Her And Her

Effects On Board On His Return Call. This Had Been So Quietly

Managed--No Agent Or Go Between Employed--That No Person,  Not Even The

Landlord Of The Hotel,  Was Aware Of Her Intentions. He Was Under The

Impression That The Lady,  Who Occupied Two Of The Best Rooms In His

House,  Would In All Probability Remain There For The Rest Of The

Summer. This He Judged From What She Had Let Fall During A Conversation

He Had Had With Her An Hour After Her Arrival,  And The Worthy Man Was

Quite Taken Aback When She Paid Her Bill,  And Leaning On The Arm Of

Captain Costigan,  Left His Establishment,  To Take Up Her Quarters On

Board The Good Ship,  Now Lying With Her Anchor Apeak In The Offing.

 

From The Quarter Deck Of The "Kaffir Chief," Towards The Close Of That

Beautiful Summer Day,  Could Be Seen A Magnificent Panoramic View Of One

Of The Finest Harbors In Europe,  With The Purple-Tinted Hills Of Munster

In The Distance,  And The Iron-Bound Coast Standing Boldly Out On Either

Side,  And Beaten With The Surges Which Impetuously Dashed Against The

Rugged Steeps. In Stormy Weather The Billows Rolled In From The Dark

Ocean In Long Arching Waves,  Bursting With A Deafening Noise On The

Beething Cliffs,  And Scattering The Salt Spray Hundreds Of