Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Forrest (the rosie project txt) 📗
- Author: Edmund William Forrest
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Mark; He's A Horse Sojer I Knows, And A Ossifer," As The Embroidered
Sabretache Of Captain Carlton Met His View While Ascending The Hall
Steps. "Well, I Am Off," Said One To The Other And The Two Lads Went
Their Way.
"Show Me Into The Library, And Hand This Card To Miss Effingham," Said
Arthur To A Servant At The Foot Of The Staircase. The Footman First
Looked At Him, Then At The Name On The Card, Then Said, With A Low Bow,
"Certainly, Sir, Certainly," And Ushered The Captain To Rather A Snug
Little Apartment Which Was Used As A Library. Edith Was Dancing When The
Chapter 16 Pg 108Footman Entered. On The Conclusion Of The Waltz He Approached And
Quietly Handed Her The Card. A Flush Of Pleasure Lit Up Her Beautiful
Features, And Joy Sparkled In Her Brilliant Eyes, As She Read The Name,
And Without A Word To Any One, Followed The Servant And Passed Straight
To The Room Where Her Lover Waited For Her. We Will Pass Over The
Transports Of Their First Meeting,--It Can Be Easily Imagined, As The
Reader, Is Already Aware Of Their Engagement, And That He Had Returned
To England For The Sole Purpose Of Their Union. After The Emotion Of The
First Few Moments Had Subsided Arthur Related To Her The Accident By
Which Sir Ralph Had Been Killed, And Of The Existence Of Her Uncle's
Will, And The Way It Had Been Stolen By Mrs. Fraudhurst, And Sir Ralph's
Complicity In The Plot.
A Feeling Of Regret At The Untimely End Of The Unhappy Man, As He Had
Been Hurried Into Eternity Without Preparation, Came Over Her For A Few
Moments, This Was Chased Away By Indignation At The Fraudulent And Base
Part That Had Been Played By Her Late Governess And Companion. "What Has
Become Of Her?" She Inquired.
"Decamped, And No Doubt Fled The Country Ere This; All That Is Known Of
Her Is That She Left Vellenaux On The Plea Of Rendering All The
Assistance In Her Power To Sir Ralph, But She Did Not Make Her
Appearance In That Neighbourhood," Was Arthur's Answer. The Reader Knows
More Of Her Movements Than Any Of Her Acquaintances At Vellenaux Or
London.
"And We Shall Have Dear Old Vellenaux To Live In. Oh! Arthur Dear, I Am
So Happy, With All The Friends I Hold Most Dear On Earth Residing Around
Us. You Will Of Course Leave The Service Now? How Kind Of My Poor, Dear
Uncle To Think Of Us Both In His Will. But Mrs. Barton May Notice My
Absence, And Become Uneasy, So Let Us Return;" And In Another Moment Or
Two, Leaning On The Arm Of Her Handsome Affianced Husband, Edith
Re-Entered The Ball Room, Much To The Relief And Surprise Of Pauline
Barton. Arthur Carlton Took An Opportunity During The Evening Of
Relating To Mr. Barton The Change That Had Taken Place In Edith's
Circumstances By The Death Of, And Disclosures Made By, The Late
Baronet.
"Meet Me At Breakfast In The Morning, And We Will Consult As To What
Immediate Steps Should Be Taken On This Extraordinary Occasion; But Of
Course You Will Sleep Here," Said Horace. Arthur Assented, And Was Soon
Again At Edith's Side, Who Had Told Confidentially To Mrs. Barton All
That He Had Told Her: And That Little Lady Could Not Restrain Her
Delight, And Before Eleven O'clock That Evening, Every One In The Room
Became Aware That The Beautiful Miss Effingham Was Worth Twenty Thousand
Pounds A Year As Heiress Of Vellenaux.
Mr. And Mrs. Denham, Previous To The Ball, Took Their Departure For
Devonshire, And Were Comfortably Settled In The Rectory Before Horace
Returned To The Willows. He Had Postponed Their Journey In Order That
Arthur And Edith Might Have The Benefit Of His Advice And Assistance In
Such Matters As Might Arise During The Establishment Of Their Claims,
Set Forth In The Will Of The Late Sir Jasper, Now Produced.
Chapter 16 Pg 109
Mr. Septimus Jones Was A Lawyer Of Good Repute, Carrying On His Practice
Now, And Had Been Doing So For Upwards Of Fifteen Years In The Main
Street Of Hammersmith Leading To The Suspension Bridge.
"Nicholas," Said That Gentleman One Morning, As He Laid On His Desk A
Copy Of The _Times_ Newspaper, Which He Had Been Carefully Perusing For
Upwards Of An Hour, "Nicholas, Do You Remember A Youth Named Edward
Crowquill, That I Had In My Office Some Ten Years Since?"
The Old And Confidential Clerk Ceased Writing, And Thrusting His Pen
Behind His Ear, Rubbed His Hands Softly Together, And Said, "Most
Certainly I Do. He Was Not Fit For The Business, And Gave It Up Through
Ill Health; Studied Medicine For A Time, And Is Now A Chemist And
Druggist, Residing Some Hundred Yards Down The Street."
"Exactly So," Replied His Employer, "You Will Be Good Enough To Put On
Your Hat And Go And Request Him To Do Me The Favor To Step Up Here For A
Few Moments." Nicholas Did His Master's Bidding, And Returned Shortly,
Accompanied By Mr. Crowquill. Mr. Jones, After Requesting Him To Be
Seated, And Directing His Clerk To Pay Attention, Took Up The Newspaper,
And Read, In A Clear Voice The Following Advertisement: "To Lawyers And
Otters.--If The Party Who Drew The Will Of The Late Sir Jasper Coleman
Of Vellenaux, Devonshire, And Those Who Witnessed The Same Document Some
Ten Years Ago, Will Call At The Office Of Messrs. Deeds, Chancery, And
Deeds, Solicitors, Gray's Inn Lane, They Will Be Handsomely Rewarded For
Their Trouble." "Now, Gentlemen," Continued He, "I Drew This Will, And
You Both Witnessed It. Do You Both Remember The Circumstance." After A
Little Reflection They Both Recollected The Circumstance.
"Oh! Since You Have Not Forgotten The Occurrence, I Will Show You A
Rough Draft Of The Will Which I Made At The Time, And By Reading This It
Will Refresh Your Memories, And You Will Be Better Able To Swear To The
Real Will If It Should Be Produced."
"When Do You Purpose Calling Upon The Solicitors?" Enquired Crowquill.
"To-Morrow Morning We Will Call For You On Our Road To Town," Replied
Mr. Jones, Politely Bowing His Visitor Out Of The Office.
Chapter 17 Pg 110
Of The Early History Of Sir Lexicon Chutny Very Little Was Known. He Was
Of Dutch Extraction That Was Obvious, Had Served For A Time In The
Madras Civil Service, But On Acquiring A Large Property By The Death Of
A Distant Relative, He Retired From That Service And Settled On One Of
His Plantations In Pallamcotta. How He Obtained His Title No One Knew Or
Enquired, His Relative, Now Deceased, Was So Called, And In His Will He
Directed That His Heir Should Assume His Name And Rank. He Was
Thoroughly Indian In His Tastes And Habits, Sensual And Self Indulgent;
Saw Very Little European Society, And Report Said That He Had Several
Native Mistresses, And Was Reputed Very Wealthy. He Had Never Married,
For European Ladies At That Period Were Rarely To Be Met With In
Pallamcotta. It Must Have Been Business Of No Ordinary Importance To
Induce Him To Leave The Land Wherein He Had Been Born, To Visit Hamburg,
Where He Made His Stay As Short As Possible. He Was Not Favorably
Impressed With The Frauleins And Fair-Haired Daughters Of Holland, And
Was Now Returning Home In The "Great Mogul," A Dutch Indiaman Bound To
Madras.
"Wreck On The Lee Bow!" Shouted A Look Out From The Mast-Head. This
Excited Quite A Commotion On Deck, From Whence The Object Was Soon
Discernable Through The Telescope, And Soon After By The Naked Eye. The
Ship's Course Was Altered And She Bore Down Upon The Unfortunate Craft
To Render Such Assistance As Might Be Necessary. She Proved To Be The
Ship "Kaffir Chief," From Cork, Bound To The Cape; She Had Been
Dismasted In One Of Those Terrific Storms Which So Frequently Occur In
These Latitudes, And Was Now Lying Completely Water-Logged On The Bosom
Of The Treacherous Ocean. The Day Previous To The Wreck Had Been
Remarkably Fine, But As Night Closed In The Wind Rose And Continued To
Increase Until It Blew A Perfect Hurricane. In Spite Of The Utmost
Exertions Of The Crew The Sails Were Blown Clear Of The Bolt Ropes,
Yards And Spars Were Carried Away, When The Foremast Went By The Board
And The Main Topmast Fell With A Crash Into The Sea, Seventeen Of The
Crew Were Hurled Into The Wild Waste Of Waters. A Little Before Daylight
A Tremendous Sea Struck Her Stern, Unshipping The Rudder, Carrying Away
The Wheel, Round-House And Lockers, Rendering Her Unmanageable, And She
Was Tossed Helplessly Like A Log Upon The Mighty Billows. As The Day
Broke The Storm Somewhat Subsided, A Scene Of Wild Desolation Was
Realized By Those On Board The Unfortunate Vessel, As The Flashes Of
Broad Sheet Lightning, With Which The Heavy Clouds Were Surcharged,
Occasionally Shot Forth. The Scene Was Startling And Terrific, The Wild
Waves Were Breaking Over Her And Three More Of The Crew Were Swept
Overboard. As The Light Increased The Sea Began Gradually To Go Down,
And Spars And Pieces Of Wreck Were Seen Floating All Around, Lifted Upon
The Surging Waves, To Which Some Of The Unfortunate Seamen Had Clung
With The Grasp Of Despair, Only To Be Again Thrown Into The Dark Trough
Of The Sea To Rise No More.
Although The Hurricane Had Subsided, So Much Water Had Been Shipped That
The Pumps Had To Be Kept Continually Going To Prevent The Hull From
Going Down: To This Laborious Task All Had To Exert Themselves To The
Utmost, And Only By This Means Could The Ship Be Kept Afloat. The
Self-Styled Mrs. Grenville Rendered Good Service In This Hour Of Peril,
She Voluntarily Took The Place Of The Steward, Now Called To The Pumps
Chapter 17 Pg 111
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