Vellenaux A Novel by Edmund William Edmund William (top non fiction books of all time .TXT) 📖
- Author: Edmund William Edmund William
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Purposes Given To Each, Who Caught Them Up With Their Trunks And Seemed
To Know Exactly What They Were Expected To Do With Them. They Were Then
Led Into The Jungle Where The Other One Was Said To Be.
"You Will See Some Fun Presently," Said Fortescue, And He Was Right, For
In A Very Short Time The Refractory Animal Was Seen Coming Into Camp At
The Top Of His Speed, Shrieking And Crying, Closely Followed By The
Other Two, Who Were Thrashing Him Soundly With The Chains That Had Been
Given To Them For That Purpose. There Is No Doubt They Gave Him To
Understand That They Did Not Intend To Carry His Load For Him.
I Have Heard Elephant Stories Before, But It Was Most Ridiculously
Absurd To See That Great Mountain Of Flesh Crying Like A Whipped Child,
Go Down On His Knees And Quietly Receive His Burden Without Any Attempt
To Hurt Or Molest His Keeper.
All The Baggage Was By This Time Off The Ground; The Regiment Got The
Order To Advance, Which They Did With Right Good Will, For Both Officers
And Men Of The Light Dragoons Were Equally Satisfied To Find Themselves
Once More Approaching Their Comfortable Quarters In Karricabad.
Chapter 6
Smiling Spring, With Her Ever-Changing Episode Of Sunshine And Tears,
Had Twice Come And Gone. The Gorgeous Fields Of Golden Grain Had For A
Second Time Bent Their Heads Beneath The Harvest Side, And The Autumnal
Tints Of Every Hue And Shade Had Again Fallen On The Rich Foliage Of The
Magnificent Old Woods Of Devon, While The Whirr Of The Pheasant In The
Preserves, And The Popping At The Partridges Among The Turnips,
Indicated That The Shooting Season Had Once More Commenced Over The
Broad Lands Around Vellenaux.
Things Wore Much The Same Aspect As They Had Done On Arthur'S Return
From College And Prior To His Departure For The Sunny Plains Of
Hindostan Some Eighteen Months Since. Sir Jasper Was Apparently Hale And
Hearty. Edith Had Finished Her Education, On Which Her Uncle Had Spared
No Expense, For Masters And Professors Had Been Procured From London To
Superintend Her Studies. She Was Perfectly Happy, Occasionally Receiving
Letters From Arthur, Which Always Afforded Her Much Pleasure To Peruse
And Think Over, And Frequently Would She Detect Herself Gazing Upon His
Photograph In The Pretty Little Locket He Had Sent Her From Oxford By
Tom Barton, And Which, Since His Departure, She Constantly Wore.
Ralph Coleman'S Visits Had Become More Frequent Of Late; This At First
Did Not Attract Edith'S Notice. She Had Never Been Prepossessed In His
Favour, But As Her Uncle'S Kinsman, And Being Heir To The Baronetcy, Her
Deportment To Him Had Ever Been Polite And Affable, But Subsequently His
Attentions Became So Marked That They Aroused Her To A Sense Of His Real
Meaning. Yet She Could Scarcely Bring Herself To Believe That Such Was
Really The Case, And But For The Delicate Hints And Inuendos That
Occasionally Fell From The Double Dealing Widow, She Would, There Is No
Doubt, Have Remained For A Much Longer Time Unconvinced Of His
Intentions Towards Her. However, Time Was Passing On And Ralph Made Up
His Mind To Bring Matters To The Point. One Lovely Afternoon, As He Was
Entering The Conservatory, He Espied The Fluttering Of A Woman'S Dress
Among The Shrubs And Flowers, And On Coming Nearer, Though Still At Some
Little Distance, Perceived A Lady Walking Slowly And As If In deep
Thought. Feeling Quite Certain That It Was No Other Than The One He Was
In Quest Of, And Thanking The Fates For Giving Him The Long Wished For
Opportunity, He Advanced More Quickly And Was Soon Beside Edith (For She
It Proved To Be) Before She Was Aware That Any One Was Near. Turning,
With Something Of A Surprised Look On Her Lovely Face, She Exclaimed,
"Oh, How You Startled Me. I Thought You Were On The Way To London. I Am
Quite Amazed To Find You Here."
"I Hope My Presence Is Not Distasteful To You," He Said, Gently, At The
Same Time Lifting His Hat And Bowing Low Before Her. He Really Cared
Nothing For The Beautiful Girl At His Side, For He Was Thoroughly
Selfish; Nor Did He Care By What Means Or How Low He Had To Stoop To
Gain Possession Of The Object Wished For.
Edith, Knowing Her Own Feelings, And Not Wishing To Say Aught To Hurt
Or Offend Him More Than Was Actually Necessary, Scarcely Knew How To
Answer Him, Disliking Him As She Did. Still She Had Nothing To Complain
Of, For He Had Ever Paid Her The Most Marked Respect. Before She Could
Frame Her Answer He Spoke Again, "Edith, I Have For Some Time Been
Wishing To Speak To You On A Subject Very Near My Heart. I Love You
Dearly And Have Long Done So, Will You Be My Wife, Or, At Least, Give Me
Some Hope That My Suit May Be Acceptable At Some Future Time? Only Give
Me One Encouraging Smile, One Ray Of Hope, And I Will Drudge On
Patiently Until You Bid Me Come To You."
"Oh No," Edith Replied, "You Must Not Wait, You Must Not Hope, I Can
Never Be Yours. Go, Leave Me." Before She Had Well Finished, Ralph
Coleman Had Seized Her Little White Hands In His Strong Grasp, And Said
In A Deep, Hoarse Voice, "Edith, I Ask You Again Will You Be Mine?"
Surprise, Astonishment, And A Feeling Very Like Indignation Took
Possession Of Edith.
"Mr. Ralph Coleman," She Said, "Before I Answer Any More Questions,
Release My Hands." As He Did So She Raised Her Head Proudly, And Turning
Towards Him With A Heightened Color, Said, "I Have Already Told You That
I Cannot Love You, And Am Surprised That It Is Not Sufficient. I Thank
You For The Honor You Intended, But Beg That You Will Never Mention This
Subject To Me Again."
As These Words Fell Upon His Ear, Ralph Coleman'S Face Changed And
Darkened Visibly, An Evil Light Came Into His Eyes, And An Ugly Frown
Contracted His Brow, Then, With A Smile, Whose Meaning Could Not Be
Mistaken, He Said:
"Take Care, Proud Girl, I Have Sworn That You Shall Be Mine, And By The
Heavens Above Us, I Intend To Keep My Vow, And Neither Man Nor Devil
Shall Turn Me From My Purpose!"
Edith'S Eyes Flashed, Her Beautiful Lips Curled In Scorn, And Her Whole
Face Beamed With Intense Disgust, And With A Voice Low And Deep She
Said,
"Have A Care, Sir, Beware How You Threaten The Niece Of Sir Jasper
Coleman. Before To-Morrow My Uncle Shall Be Made Acquainted With What
Has Just Passed, And The Character Of The Man Who Has Partaken So Often
Of His Hospitality, And Been Ever Treated With Kind Attention, He Has
Yet To Learn How These Courtesies Have Been Returned," And Sweeping Past
Him With A Look Of Supreme Contempt, Edith Was About To Pass On.
It Was Evident That He Had Gone Too Far And That She Was Not A Girl To
Be Intimidated By Anything That He Might Say, And At Once Changed His
Tactics--For He Was An Excellent Actor--"Pardon Me, Miss Effingham, I
Know Not What I Am Saying, I Am Mad. Yes, Lady, Mad! For Your Beauty
Like The Moon, Makes All Men Mad, Who Comes Within The Sphere Of Its
Attraction. Forgive Me For Thus Offending You." Edith Turned Towards
Him, And With Calm Dignity Replied, "Promise Me Never Again To Revert To
This Subject, And In No Way Further Molest Me, And What Has Just Passed
Shall Be Forgiven." He Gave The Required Promise. Edith Then Pursued Her
Way To The End Of The Conservatory, Passed Through The Doorway, And On
To The Terrace Where She Was Met By Her Uncle. He Observed Her
Heightened Color, But As She Made No Complaint He Allowed It To Pass
Without Comment.
Ralph Coleman Stood For A Few Moments Irresolute. She Must, He Thought,
Either Be Aware That Her Uncle Has Left Her Sole Heiress, Or Else Is In
Love With Another, Carlton Perhaps. Fool That I Was To Run So Great A
Risk, And That, At The Instigation Of That Scheming Woman. Should She
Say Aught To Her Uncle On This Matter, It Would Ruin Me With Him. I Will
At Once Seek An Interview And Endeavour To Wheedle Him Out Of A Promise
To Make A Codicil In My Favor.
Failing In The Attempt To Secure The Hand Of The Beautiful Miss
Effingham, And Not Daring To Risk Another Trial, As It Might Spoil The
Plans He Had Been Contemplating Since Edith'S Dismissal Of Him, He Had
Kept Shy Of That Young Lady During The Remainder Of His Stay, And Prior
To His Departure For London, He Had Contrived To Have A Long Interview
With The Baronet, During Which He Very Ably Showed The Position That He
Would Hold Should The Baronetcy Eventually Descend To Him Who Was
Totally Unable To Support The Dignity Of The Rank That Would Thus Be
Thrust Upon Him. So Well And Ably Did He Argue This Point, That Ere He
Left Vellenaux He Extorted A Sort Of Promise From Sir Jasper That He
Would Think The Matter Over And Make A Bequest In His Favor.
He Returned To His Office, In deed Court, Annoyed And Disheartened To A
Considerable Extent By The Failure Of His Designs As Far As Related To
Miss Effingham, But His Wounded Vanity He Could Afford To Bear And Hide
Within His Own Breast, As He Now Confidently Believed That Sir Jasper
Would Adopt The Suggestions He Had Made To Him, And Settle, At Least,
Two Or Three Thousand Per Annum On The Successor To The Baronetcy During
The Said Successor'S Life; And In This Frame Of Mind The Lawyer
Determined To De Vote Himself Entirely To His Profession, And To Avoid
The Pretty Edith, Mrs. Fraudhurst, And Vellenaux, Until The Present
Owner Should Have Been Gathered To His Fathers.
There Is Perhaps No Season Of The Year In The South Of England So
Pleasing To The Eye Or More Genial To The Corporeal Faculties Than That
Of Early Autumn, Especially That Part Of Devonshire Which We Have
Selected For The Opening And Closing Scene Of Our Story. Vellenaux, With
Its Varied And Picturesque Styles Of Architecture, Embosomed, As It
Were, In Rich Woodlands, With A Perfect Amphitheatre Of Hills On Three
Sides, And Ever And Anon The Soft Breezes Of The Ocean Sweeping Over The
Downs, And Through The Beech Woods On The Other. It Was, Indeed, A
Domain Of Which Any One Might Have Been Proud.
It Was A Lovely Evening, The Sun Had Just Commenced To Dip Behind The
Crest Of The Adjacent Hills, And Was Sending Its Golden Rays Through The
Bright Foliage Of The Trees And Down The Long Paths That Led To The
Woods Hard By. Edith Had Strolled, Book In Hand, To Her Favourite Knoll,
Beneath A Stately Elm, And Was Engaged In Reading. Her Two Favourite
Dogs, Fine Specimens Of The Italian Greyhound, Chased Each Other In
Circles Which Gradually Grew Smaller Until It Brought Them To The Very
Feet Of Their Mistress. One Placed His Small Smooth Nose In The Little
White Hand That Was Thrown Carelessly On The Moss Grown Roots Beside
Her, While The Other, To Attract Her Attention, Placed His Paw On The
Page She Was Reading And Looked Up In Her Face. Suddenly Their Ears
Elongated And Away They Bounded, As The Noise Of Horses Hoofs Were Heard
Approaching In Her Direction, Aroused Her From Her Recumbent Position,
As Julia Barton, On Her Quiet Little Pony, Trotted Up. She Was Off In an
Instant, And Running Up To Her Friend, Greeted Her In The Animated,
Lively Way, As Was Her Custom When She Had Anything To Communicate That
She Thought Would Please Or Interest Her. "At Your Studies," She Said,
Taking Up The Volume That Edith Had Let Fall On Her Appearance. "Long
Engagements, A Tale Of The Affghan War. Oh, Oh, Thinking Of Our Old
Playfellow Are We?" And The Merry Girl Laughed Heartily,
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