Vellenaux A Novel by Edmund William Forrest (great novels .TXT) 📖

Waft Over The City. At

The Time Of Which I Am Writing,  Madras Was More Than Usually Gay,

Several Vessels Of War Were In Port And A Number Of Crack Corps Had

Arrived From Europe And Elsewhere,  Officered By A Set Of Men Whose

Fathers And Great-Grandfathers Before Them Had Served Their Country

Either In The Army Or Navy; They Served Not For Pay But For Honor,  And

To Uphold The High And Honourable Name Bequeathed Them By Their

Ancestors. Many Of These Came Into The Regiment Not To Save But To Spend

Money,  And It Was Surprising To The Calculating Natives The Enormous

Sums They Managed To Get Through During Their Short Stay At Any Of The

Large Towns Or Stations Where Europeans Do Most Congregate.

 

The Stream Of Fashionable Life Was Now At Its Height,  Now In Full Force

When Lady Chutny'S Magnificent Bungalow Was Thrown Open For Receptions;

And It Was Not Long Before The Fame Of Her Ladyship'S Fetes And

Assemblies Spread Far And Wide. Sir Lexicon Was Known To Be Exceedingly

Wealthy,  And It Will Be Remembered That Mrs. Fraudhurst,  On Quitting

England,  Had Drawn Out Of The Bank Her Capital Of Ten Thousand Rounds.

This Sum,  Together With A Large Amount Given Her By The Planter For The

Express Purpose Of Giving Entertainments In Town,  Had Been Paid Into The

Bank Of Madras,  In Lady Chutny'S Name. The Sum Was Actually Only One Lae

And A Half Of Rupees,  But Dame Rumour,  With Her Hundred Tongues,  Had

Chapter 20 Pg 139

Quadrupled It.

 

The Season Was Now At Its Height,  And Her Ladyship Had Issued Cards For

An Entertainment That Was To Exceed Anything Before Attempted In Madras

The Spacious Verandahs To The Right,  Left And Rear Of The Bungalow Were

Converted Into Lounging Halls,  Half Drawing-Room,  Half Conservatory,

While The Compound And Gardens Were Brilliantly Illuminated With

Countless Colored Lamps And Lanterns. Hundreds Presented Themselves For

Admission To The Fairy-Like Scene,  And It Was Allowed By All To Be A

Perfect Success,  A Gem Of The First Water Of Entertainments,  And Such,

As Many Of The Guests Had Seldom Witnessed. Her Ladyship,  Elegantly

Attired,  And Flushed With Pride And Pleasure At The Triumph She Was

Achieving Moved Gracefully About From One Room To Another Attending To

The Comfort And Convenience Of Her Visitors. In Passing Along One Of The

Improvised Conservatories,  The Figure Of A Cavalry Officer Attracted

Her Attention. His Features Were Screened From Her View By The Leaves Of

A Magnificent Orange Tree,  But There Was Something In His General

Outline,  As He Stood Leaning Indolently Against The Trellis Work

Chatting With A Drawl,  Real Or Affected,  To A Little Lady Seated,  Or

Rather Reclining On A Low Ottoman Close By,  Something That Caused Her To

Start As If The Gallant Officer Was Not Altogether Unknown To Her,  But

Her Memory Would Not At The Moment Serve Her,  Yet A Feeling Of Mistrust,

A Sort Of Almost Indescribable Sensation Of Disquietude Came Over Her As

She Listened To The Polite Nothings That Issued From His Lips; But

Fearing To Attract Observation She Quietly Withdrew,  And Entering The

Upper End Of The Ball Room Summoned Her Chobdah And Pointing Out The

Figures Said,  "When That Gentleman Leaves His Present Position,  Tell Him

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

To Stammer Forth His Excuses,  That He Had Dropped In On The Strength Of

Having 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

Chapter 20 Pg 141

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

Gleamed 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

Chapter 20 Pg 142

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 When

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