Vellenaux A Novel - Edmund William Forrest (the rosie project txt) 📗
- Author: Edmund William Forrest
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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
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
Chapter 20 Pg 131Procure 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 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,
Chapter 20 Pg 132Vellenaux, 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."
"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
Chapter 20 Pg 133The 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 134
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
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