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

Master Will Attach No

Blame To Any One Or Have Any Suspicion That Foul Play Has Been Used,

Then You Can Easily Persuade Him To Allow The Body To Remain There."

 

The Native Doctor Was Right. The Unhappy Woman Never Saw The Rising Of

Another Sun,  And In The White Sands,  Beneath The Waving Palms,  Where The

Hyena Prowled And The Wild Jackall Barked Hoarsely Through The Night,

Lies The Mortal Remains Of This Ambitious Woman,  Who Thus Fell A Victim

To The Jealous And Revengeful Passions Of Those By Whom She Had Been

Surrounded By Her Unscrupulous Husband.

 

The Third Day After The Ball,  Captain Snaffle Again Presented Himself At

Lady Chutny'S Bungalow,  And Was Informed That Her Ladyship Had Left

Town,  And Would,  In all Probability Be Absent Some Weeks. The

Fashionable World Was In a Great Commotion At This Unexpected Event.

They Could Not Understand It. To Leave Town At The Height Of The Season,

And Just As She Had Achieved So Great A Triumph As Her Last Ball Was

Allowed To Be,  It Was Quite Inexplicable. It Was Talked Of,  Canvassed

Over,  And Commented Upon,  At The Band Stand,  Race Course,

Conversaziones,  And Mess Room,  For Several Days,  And,  In Fact,  Until The

Mystery Was Cleared Up By A Startling _Denouement_.

 

"I Say,  Snaffle,  Old Fellow,  Who The Deuce Is She? You Know,  Or I Am

Much Mistaken. I Saw You Making Great Play,  And Coming It Rather Heavy

With Her On The Night Of The Ball. I Watched You Both For Some Time. You

Two Have Met Before Under Different Circumstances. I Wager My Chestnut

Mare Against Your Bay Colt That I Am Right. Will You Say Done?" And

Harry Racer,  Of The Fusiliers,  Here Produced His Book In Hopes Of

Entering A Bet.

 

"Not Quite So Fast Racer,  My Boy. There Is No Mystery In The Matter,  No

Subject For A Wager. We Have Met Before,  I Knew It While Talking To Her,

But Could Not Remember Where. I Recollect All Now. Whether She

Recognized Me Or Not,  I Cannot Tell. She Is A Very Clever Woman. If You

Will Say Nothing About It,  I Will Tell You All I Know."

 

"Not I! Not I," Replied Racer,  Half Despondingly At The Prospect Of

Being Able To Enter A Wager In His Betting Book Disappearing.

 

"Well Then," Continued Snaffle,  "She Was A Mrs. Fraudhurst,  A Widow

Governess And Companion To A Rich Heiress,  Niece Of Sir Jasper Coleman

Of Vellenaux In devonshire. How She Got Out Here,  And In What Way She

Managed To Hook Sir Lexicon,  I Cannot Imagine,  But I Will Find It All

Out At Our Next Interview,  Depend Upon It."

 

"Stop! By Jupiter! Did You Say Governess,  Baronet,  Name Coleman,  Place,

Vellenaux,  Devonshire? Here'S A Go! Not A Word. Here,  Ramsammy,  Bring

The Fyle Of English Newspapers From The Library,  Quick." The Papers Were

Handed To Him,  And,  Selecting _Bell'S Life_,  Harry Racer Commenced

Reading The Following Paragraph:--

 

"Frightful Railway Accident. Death Of Sir Ralph Coleman Of Vellenaux,

Devonshire. Startling Disclosures. Stolen Will. Heiress Defrauded.

Flight From The Country Of Accomplice,  The Family Governess. Full

Particulars In Our Next Issue."

Chapter 20 Pg 125

"That'S Her,  The Planter'S Lady. Large As Life And Twice As Natural. The

Thing Is As Clear As Mud In a Wine Glass. All Plain And Smooth As A

Three Mile Course. The Mystery Is Solved. She Recognized You At The

Ball,  Saw That You Were Mystified,  But Would,  Doubtless,  Remember Her If

You Met Again. You Call The Next Morning. She Refuses To See You On The

Plea Of Indisposition. Takes The Alarm,  Bolts Off The Course,  And Makes

For The Open Country,  Where She,  Doubtless,  Intends To Remain Until She

Hears That You Are Safe On Your Road To Secunderabad; And Now,  Old

Fellow,  What Are You Going To Do? There Is Money To Be Made Out Of This

Matter If You Are Not Too Squeamish," And Here Racer Tipped A Knowing

Wink To His Friend Of The Lancers.

 

But Captain Snaffle Was A Gentleman,  And Had No Idea Of Trading Upon The

Necessities Of Others,  Be They Who They Might. He Merely Replied By

Saying:

 

"Racer,  You Will Not Mention A Word Of This To Any One At Present. I

Will Go Down To Pallamcotta And Find Out To What Extent Lady Chutny Has

Compromised Herself. After That We Can Decide What Is To Be Done About

Letting Fashionable World Into The Secret." The Two Friends Left The

Fusiliers' Mess Room,  Harry Racer Trotting Off To Inspect Some New

Horses That He Had Got Scent Of,  And Snaffle To His Own Quarters.

 

The Following Morning Saw Him On His Way To Sir Lexicon'S Plantation. On

The Road He Overtook The Baronet,  And They Rode The Remainder Of The

Distance Together. Imagine Their Consternation On Finding That Lady

Chutny Was Both Dead And Buried.

 

The Planter,  With His Usual Indolence And Procrastination,  Was For

Allowing Things To Remain As They Were. "There Is No Use," He Said,

"Now,  That The Matter Is All Over,  Of Disturbing The Body. I Will Have

A Handsome Monument Erected Over Her Remains,  And The Place Shall Be

Nicely Laid Out With Shrubs And Flowers,  And Kept In Good Order While I

Live;" But Captain Snaffle Thought Otherwise. He Felt Certain That The

Woman Had Not Been Accessory To Her Own Death,  But That Foul Play Had

Been Used By Some One And He Was Determined To Ferret It Out.

Immediately On His Return To Madras He Communicated His Suspicions To

The Police Authorities,  And Enquiries Were Instituted,  A Reward Offered,

And The Whole Affair Came To Light.

 

But It Was Not Until Several Months After This Event Transpired That Our

Friends At Vellenaux Became Aware Of The Ultimate Fate Of The

Ex-Governess. Captain Snaffle,  In a Letter To Arthur,  Gave An Account Of

The Whole Transaction,  From Which It Transpired,  That,  On Enquiries

Being Set On Foot Respecting Lady Chutny'S Sudden Death,  Gopall,  The

Butler,  Turned Queen'S Evidence,  And Confessed The Whole Of The

Diabolical Plot. Datura,  A Powerful Narcotic Poison,  Had Been Mixed With

The Sherbet,  This Produced Delirium,  And A Quantity Of Pulverized Glass

Had Been Introduced Into The Food Given To The Unsuspecting Victim,

Which Produced Inflammation Of The Bowels,  And The Combined Effects Of

These Caused Death. However,  The Perpetrators Of The Foul Deed

Unfortunately Managed To Escape,  By What Means The Writer Did Not State.

 

 

Chapter 21 Pg 126

Carlton Abbey,  The Estate Of The Earls Of Castlemere For Centuries Back,

Was Situated Near Ollarten,  On The Borders Of Sherwood Forest,  In

Nottinghamshire. It Was Formerly A Religious House Of The Highest Order,

Largely And Richly Endowed,  Whose Broad Acres Ran Some Distance Into

"Merrie Sherwood" Itself. It Is Reported That The Renowned Robin Hood,

With A Score Of His Followers,  Once Sought And Obtained Shelter And

Protection There,  When Pursued By The Sheriff Of Nottinghamshire For

Slaying The King'S Deer And Other Misdemeanors Within The Limits Of The

Forest; And Later Here Also Took Place The Celebrated Meeting Between

Cardinal Woolsey And The Duke Of Buckingham,  Previous To That Haughty

Prelate'S Dismissal From Royal Favor And Ultimate Disgrace,  And On The

Death Of The Marchioness Of Cosingby Who,  For Forty Years Reigned As The

Lady Abbess,  The Sisters Of This Order Moved Elsewhere,  As The Property

Fell Into The Hands Of Eustace,  First Earl Of Castlemere,  Heir-At-Law,

By Whom And His Successors,  Alterations And Additions Were Made Becoming

The Home Of An English Noble; But Although The Last Earl Lived A Retired

And Secluded Life,  Carlton Abbey Was Not Allowed To Fall Into Decay,  And

The Manor,  Preserves,  And Grounds Generally Were Kept In excellent

Order,  And So The Earl Of Castlemere,  As We Must Now Designate Our Hero,

Found It; For On Being Assured That He Was,  Beyond The Possibility Of A

Doubt,  Heir To The Estate,  Had Paid A Flying Visit To Nottinghamshire,

And While There Had Given Orders To The Housekeeper And Steward To Have

A Handsome Suit Of Apartments Prepared For The Reception Of The Countess

And Himself; He Likewise Gave Directions To His Agent To Raise A Troop

Of Volunteer Cavalry,  The Cost Of Which Was To Be Defrayed Out Of The

Revenues Of The Estate,  The Men To Be Selected From Among The Tenantry

And Well-To-Do Farmers Residing On The Abbey Lands.

 

On Their Return From The Continent,  The Earl And His Bride Took Formal

Possession Of Carlton Abbey,  Received The Visits Of The Neighboring

Families,  Inspected The Newly Improvised Cavalry,  Mustered And Feasted

The Tenantry,  And Made Known To All Concerned That They Intended To

Reside,  For At Least Four Months In each Year,  At The Abbey,  Then Took

Their Departure,  Leaving A Very Favorable Impression Behind Them.

 

On The Return To London Of Edith And Arthur From Their Wedding Tour,

They Were Presented At Court. The Queen Seemed To Take Considerable

Interest In The Handsome Earl And His Beautiful Countess,  For His

Excellency The Commander-In-Chief Had Mentioned To Her Majesty Some Of

Arthur'S Gallant Exploits While In India,  And The Romantic Train Of

Events That Had Happened To Both Earl And Countess Prior To Their

Marriage. As A Mark Of Royal Favor They Were Invited To Windsor Castle.

This,  In Itself,  Was Sufficient To Give Them _Eclat_ In The Highest

Circles. They Gave A Series Of Brilliant Entertainments In Saint James'

Square,  Which Hundreds Of The Highest In The Land Made A Point Of

Attending. Fortunately The London Season Was At Its Close; This Allowed

Edith To Carry Out Her Long-Cherished Wish To Return To Vellenaux As

Its Honoured Mistress. There Were Associations Connected With It That

Could Not Be Effaced By All The Gaieties Of The Most Magnificent Courts

Of Europe. Arthur Too Was Somewhat Tired Of The Exciting Life They Had

Led For Some Months Past,  And Was Anxious To Re-Visit The Quiet Spot

Where The Happiest Years Of His Early Life Had Been Spent; Accordingly

They Left London For Their Old Home Among The Beech Woods Of Devon.

 

The Day Of High Jubilee,  The Day Of Feasting And Merriment,  Such As Had

Never Been Witnessed In Vellenaux By Its Oldest Inhabitant,  At Length

Arrived. High And Low,  Rich And Poor Of The Village And For Miles

Around,  Turned Out In Holiday Costume To Witness The Return Of Edith And

Arthur To Their Childhood'S Happy Home. Triumphal Arches Of Eve Greens

And Flags Had Been Erected At Different Places Between Switchem Station

And The Park Gates. The Two Troops Of Volunteer Cavalry That Had Been

Raised From Among The Tenantry Of Carlton Abbey And Vellenaux,  Armed And

Equipped At The Expense Of The Earl And Countess,  Already Licked Into

Chapter 21 Pg 127