Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Forrest (the rosie project txt) 📗
- Author: Edmund William Forrest
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That Lady Chutny Desires To Speak With Him." The Native Made His Sallam
And Withdrew. In A Few Moments The Object Of Her Enquiry Advanced
Towards Her, And Without Preface Or Introduction, Commenced, "I Am
Informed That Your Ladyship Has Done Me The Honor To Request My
Presence, And, Like An Obedient Slave, I Am At Your Ladyship's Command,"
And He Bowed With The Most Deferential Politeness As He Delivered
Himself Of This Harangue; Then Recollecting For The First Time That He
Had No Card Of Invitation From, Or Introduction To, Her Ladyship, Began
Chapter 20 Pg 128Having Met Sir Lexicon For A Few Minutes At The Mess Of The Fusiliers,
And Had Accepted His General Invitation As A _Carte Blanche_. He Was
Quickly Relieved From His Embarassment By His Handsome Hostess Declaring
Herself Fortunate In Numbering Among Her Friends So Gallant A
Chevalier. "I Was Not Aware That Your Regiment Was In Town, Nor Do I
Believe That I Have Ever Met Your Distinguished Corps, And It Was To
Explain Away The Seeming Slight In Neglecting To Forward Cards That I
Have Requested A Few 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
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
Chapter 20 Pg 129Us 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
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
Chapter 20 Pg 130Gleamed 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
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