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

Minutes' Conversation With You."

 

"Your Ladyship Is Kindness Itself,  And Our Fellows Will Duly Appreciate

Your Affability On Reaching Madras; For,  Unfortunately For Them,  We Are

Still Quartered At Secunderabad. I Alone Am Here On Court Martial Duty

And Have,  I Fear,  Intruded Upon Your Hospitality. But I Believe I Have

Had The Pleasure Of Meeting Your Ladyship Before,  Though I Must Confess

That When And Where Has Escaped My Memory; Unpardonable In Me,

Certainly,  To Forget The Occasion That Introduced Me To So Charming A

Lady." They Were Standing Opposite One Of The Large Mirrors,  And By A

Skillful Manipulation Of Her Fan,  The Hostess Contrived To Obtain A

Perfect View Of The Features Of The Gentleman Who Was Now Addressing

Her,  At The Same Time Revealing But Little Of Her Own. For A Few Moments

She Too Was Mystified As To Who He Was,  Or Under What Circumstances They

Had Met,  Or Whether It Was A Case Of Simple Mistaken Identity; But

Another Searching Glance At The Mirror,  And The Truth Flashed Upon Her

In An Instant. Her Thoughts Travelled Back To Vellenaux. Yes,  It Was He,

The Same Snaffle Of The Lancers,  Who Had Figured As Young Lochinvar At

The Fancy Dress Ball,  And Had Subsequently Lunched There On One Or Two

Occasions During The Shooting Season,  Prior To Arthur'S Joining His

Regiment. She Felt Certain That He Had Not As Yet Recognized Her,  But

That He Must Do So At Length She Felt Convinced. To Be Recognized By Him

After So Many Years Was An Event Which She Had Not Calculated On. It

Was One To Be Dreaded,  For,  Doubtless,  The Disclosures That He Could

Chapter 20 Pg 122

Make,  Would Bring Her To Disgrace And Ultimate Ruin; But She Was Equal

To The Trying Ordeal.

 

"If We Have Met,  My Dear Sir," She Said,  In a Low,  Soft Voice,  "It Must

Have Been At The Cape,  Or In London. Although I Do Not Think That Your

Regiment Was In either Of Those Places During My Residence There,  But

That Circumstance Need Not Prevent Us From Becoming Better Acquainted."

He Bowed And Retired,  And The Smiling Hostess Moved Among Her Guests As

Though Nothing Had Occurred To Disturb Her. On The Following Morning The

Card Of Captain Snaffle Was Handed To Her,  But She Excused Herself From

Appearing On The Plea Of Indisposition. The Sight Of The Lancer'S Card

Both Startled And Alarmed Her. He Had Discovered Her Identity With The

Ex-Governess Of Vellenaux,  Or He Would Never Have Presented Himself At

So Early An Hour After The Bail. What Was To Be Done? She Must Return At

Once To Pallamcotta,  And An Hour After The Gallant Captain Had Left,  She

Quitted Her Bungalow. She Need Not Have Been So Much Alarmed,  For,

Although Snaffle,  Who,  During The Evening,  Had Obtained A Good Look At

Her Unobserved,  It Was Not Until Late In The Morning That He Remembered

Her As The Companion Of Edith At Vellenaux. Nor Had He Heard Anything Of

Sir Ralph'S Death,  Or The Crime Which Had Caused Her To Fly From

England,  But This She Did Not Know,  And As "Conscience Makes Cowards Of

Us All," She Sought The Refuge Of Her Bungalow At Pallamcotta.

 

With Agitated Feelings,  And Distracted With Doubts And Fears,  It Was In

No Enviable State Of Mind That Lady Chutny Re-Entered Her Home On The

Plantation. Judge Then Of Her Indignation To Find That During Her

Absence The Favourite Mistresses Had Been Re-Established In Their Old

Comfortable Quarters,  For,  While She Had Been Amusing Herself At The

Capital With Balls And Parties,  They Had Regained Their Ascendency Over

Sir Lexicon,  Who,  Not Expecting Her Ladyship'S Return For Several Weeks,

Had Consented To Their Returning To The Bungalow Until Suitable

Arrangements Could Be Made For Them. He Ladyship'S Sudden And Unexpected

Return,  Together With Her Order For Their Immediate Expulsion,  Aroused

Their Passions--Which During Her Absence Had Remained Dormant--To

Intense Hatred,  And They Were Determined To Sacrifice Her At The Altar

Of Jealousy And Revenge,  And Resolved To Execute Their Wicked Project

Without Further Delay. Sir Lexicon'S Absence,  They Well Knew,  Would

Afford Them An Excellent Opportunity For Carrying Out Their Design. The

Servants,  They Were Sure,  Would Act In concert With Them,  By Affording

Them The Facilities They Required.

 

"Gopall," Said One Of The Three,  "Bring The Madam Sahib'S Food Into My

Room Before You Place It On The Table This Evening." "And," Responded

Another,  "I Wish To Act As Her Ayah,  And Carry The Sherbet To Her

Chamber Tonight. You Understand,  Eh? You Shall Have A Gold Mohur From

Us." The Butler Grinned With Intense Satisfaction,  For He Had No Doubt

Of Their Intentions,  And His Little Black Eyes Twinkled With Delight At

The Idea Of Receiving The Gold Coin Promised; And At Once Gave The

Assurance That They Might Count Upon His Assistance,  And Likewise The

Co-Operation Of The Other Servants.

 

During Dinner Lady Chutny Enquired Whether Her Orders Regarding The

Three Women Had Been Attended To,  And If They Had Left The House. The

Crafty Butler Pretended Not To Understand The Meaning Of Her Words. She

Could Not Speak The Language,  And Her Ayah,  Who Had Always Acted As

Interpreter,  Whenever She Wished To Issue Her Commands Personally,  Had

Been,  Owing To Her Hasty Retreat,  Left Behind At The Capital. Boiling

With Rage At Being,  As It Were,  Set At Defiance In Her Own House And By

Her Own Domestics,  Fatigued With Her Journey,  And Alarmed At The

Prospect Of Being In The Power Of Captain Snaffle,  Also Dreading The

Disclosures He Might Make,  It Was No Wonder That She Sought The Quiet Of

Her Own Chamber Much Earlier Than Was Her Usual Custom. For Several

Hours She Turned Uneasily On Her Couch,  Her Mind Disturbed By

Chapter 20 Pg 123

Conflicting Doubts And Fears,  When A Strange Attendant Entered,  Bearing

A Large Goblet Of Sherbet,  Which Had Been Rendered Deliciously Cool By

Being Placed For Several Hours In a Mixture Of Saltpetre And Glauber

Salts. This Was Her Favourite Evening Beverage,  Which,  In Her Now Heated

And Excited State Was Very Acceptable. Motioning The Woman To Place It

On The Teapoy,  Near Her Pillow,  She Was About To Give Her Further

Instructions,  When She Noticed That She Was A Stranger,  Not From Her

Features,  For They Were Concealed Beneath The Folds Of Her Sarree,  Which

Had Been Thrown Completely Over Her Head,  Revealing Only A Small Portion

Of The Lower Part Of Her Face,  But From Her General Appearance. Finding

That She Was Not Understood,  She Stretched Forth Her Hand For The Goblet

And Took A Long Draught,  Unconscious Of The Piercing Dark Eyes That

Gleamed Down Upon Her With Jealous Hatred And Fiendish Pleasure From

Behind The Silken Sarree Of Her New Attendant,  As She Took From Her Hand

The Half-Emptied Goblet,  Which,  After Placing On The Teapoy,  She

Quickly Left The Room. There Was Something Suspicious About The Action

Of The Woman,  But Lady Chutny Was Too Much Occupied With Her Own

Thoughts To Notice It At The Time,  And Soon After Sank Into A Doze From

Which She Started In affright,  As If From Some Dreadful Dream,  Only To

Fall Into Another. This Occurred Several Times. At Length,  After

Finishing The Remainder Of The Sherbet,  She Dropped Into A Deep Sleep.

 

The Sun Was High In The Heavens When She Again Awoke. A Burning Fever

Consumed Her,  And Delirium Had Fastened On Her With Fearful Spasmodic

And Excruciating Pains Internally. She Endeavored To Rise,  But Fainted

In So Doing. She Shrieked Wildly For Assistance,  But None Heeded Her

Cries. For Hours She Was Thus,  Left Alone,  The Pains Increasing,  And Her

Brain In a Constant Whirl. Again She Slept,  How Long She Knew Not. When,

On Awaking,  She Found The Same Attendant Who Had Waited On Her The

Previous Evening,  Standing At Her Bedside. She Had Brought Food,  Of

Which Her Ladyship Partook Slightly But Eagerly,  And Called For Tea,

Which Was Handed Her.

 

"Has Sir Lexicon Returned," She Enquired. The Attendant Shook Her Head.

"Send For Him Immediately,  And Likewise A Doctor. I Am In Great Agony."

The Woman Muttered Something,  And Left Her. Through The Long,  Lonely

Hours Of That Dark Night,  The Wretched Woman,  Wracked By Intense Pain,

With Insanity Steadily Gaining The Ascendency,  Tossed To And Fro On Her

Weary Bed,  And When Overtaxed Nature Did Succumb To Slumber,  Wild

Dreams,  And Wilder Fancies Haunted Her Between Sleeping And Waking. She

Fancied She Saw At Her Bedside The Forms Of Edith,  Arthur,  And Ralph

Coleman. The Latter She Denounced As A Coward And Traitor,  From Carlton

She Hid Her Face,  But To Edith She Stretched Forth Her Hand And Implored

Her To Save Her From The Torments She Was Now Enduring,  But Only Meeting

With A Scornful Laugh,  Fell Back Upon Her Pillow Exhausted.

 

This Had Not Been Quite All Fancy,  For The Three Mistresses Of The

Planter Had Stolen Into Her Chamber To Feast Their Cruel Eyes Upon The

Dying Agonies Of Their Helpless Victim. Towards The Middle Of The Fourth

Day,  Reason Had Somewhat Resumed Its Sway,  And The Violence Of The Pains

She Had Experienced Were Subdued,  The Ayah Had Arrived From The Capital

And Now Resumed Her Attendance Upon Her Mistress. She Had Sought Out The

Native Doctor Who Attended The Sick Of The Plantation. He,  Although In

The Pay Of The Three Women,  Thought It Best To Visit Lady Chutny When

Summoned.

 

"Is There No European Doctor?" Enquired The Patient,  As The Native

Practitioner Felt Her Pulse And Otherwise Examined Her.

 

"No,  Madam,  But I Will Ride To The Next Station And Endeavour To Procure

One," Replied The Crafty Little Man. Then Turning To The Ayah,  Said,  "I

Should Have Been Called In Sooner. The Sahib Must Be Sent For Without

Delay," And After Leaving A Few Instructions,  Left The Room. He Knew

Chapter 20 Pg 124

That Death Must Soon Ensue,  And Was Determined To Be Absent On Sir

Lexicon'S Arrival Under The Pretence Of Doing All In His Power To

Procure European Medical Assistance. As He Passed Through The Women'S

Apartment He Said To Them,  "I Am Going For A European Doctor. Of Course,

I Shall Not Find One. You Understand? You Have Done Your Work

Completely. She Will Die At Sunset. You Had Better Send For A

Missionary Or Priest,  And Have Her Buried As Soon As Possible. Let The

Grave Be Dug Under The Palm Trees,  On The South Side Of The Plantation,

And Have All Done Decently And In Order,  And The