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

Where The Old Earl Died.

 

Having Thus Succeeded To The Title And Estates Of His Forefathers,

Arthur Quitted His Rooms In Albermarle Street,  And Located Himself At

His Mansion In St. James' Square,  Which,  Although Undergoing Extensive

Alterations And Decorations,  Had Still A Sufficient Number Of Apartments

In Thorough Repair And Handsomely Enough Furnished,  To Satisfy The

Taste Of A More Fastidious Person Than Our Ex-Light Dragoon. It Was

Really Astonishing The Number Of Visitors He Had To Receive,  And Cards

And Notes Of Invitation Were Showered Upon Him From People Whose Very

Existence He Had Previously Never Heard Of,  Connections By Marriage Of

The Past Generation Crowded Upon Him,  Mothers With Marriageable

Daughters Invited Him To Their Assemblies,  Young Men Of His Own Order

Sought To Engage Him In The Various Pursuits Considered Indispensable

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Among Those By Whom He Now Found Himself Surrounded. When It Became

Generally Known That The New Earl Was,  Beyond The Possibility Of A

Doubt,  Engaged To Be Married,  The Connections Just Mentioned Thought It

Right And Proper To Recognize In Edith Effingham The Future Countess Of

Castlemere; And,  On Learning That She Was The Niece Of A Baronet,  And

Heiress,  In Her Own Right,  To Twenty Thousand A Year,  She Was Sought

After And Made Much Of By The Aristocratic Relatives Of Her Affianced

Husband,  For The Privilege Of Entering,  As Honoured Guests,  Such Places

As Vellenaux And Carlton Abbey Was Not To Be Lost For The Want Of A

Little Tact And Polite Attention To The Bride Elect,  And So Edith's

Circle Of Female Friends Enlarged Rapidly,  And It Was From Among These

That She Selected The Eight Young Beauties Who Were To Act As

Bridesmaids On Her Marriage Day,  Now Fast Approaching.

 

The Bishop Of Exeter,  Who Had Been Well Acquainted With Arthur's Father,

Offered His Services On The Interesting Occasion,  Which Were Gladly

Accepted. Exactly At 11 A.M.,  The Family Carriage Of The Bartons,

Containing Edith,  Pauline Barton,  And Three Of The Bridesmaids,  Left

Berkly Square. In A Second Were Seated The Other Five Ladies Acting In

That Capacity. Then Came The Large,  Roomy Vehicle Of The Good Natured

Stock Broker,  Occupied By Mr. And Mrs. Cotterell,  Horace Barton And Mr.

And Mrs. Denham,  Who Had Come Up From Devonshire Expressly To Be Present

At The Ceremony. Tom Barton And Cousin Kate Accepted Seats In The

Handsome Barouche Of The Ashburnhams.

 

The Cavalcade Reached Westminister Abbey Just As The Bishop Of Exeter,

Attended By Two Other Clergymen,  Drove Up. Quite A Number Of

Aristocratic Equipages,  With Their Occupants,  Had Already Arrived,  And

Just As The Bride Was Descending From Her Carriage,  A Handsome

Cabriolete,  Driven By The Earl Of Castlemere; Attended By His Groomsman,

Draycott,  Dashed Up At Full Speed. Quite A Large Assemblage Had Gathered

About The Cloisters And Aisles Of The Venerable Structure,  Where It Had

Pleased Miss Effingham To Have The Marriage Solemnized,  All Anxious To

Get A Glimpse Of The Wedding Party,  As They Moved Up To The Chancel And

Took The Positions Assigned Them In Front And To The Right And Left Of

The Altar,  And A Fairer Scene Than The One Now Presented To Their View,

Had,  By Many Been Rarely,  If Ever,  Witnessed. The Warm,  Ruddy Light Of A

Summer's Sun,  Subdued By The Gorgeously Colored Panes Of The Magnificent

Oriel Windows Above The Altar,  Fell Softly,  Yet Brightly,  On The Richly

Dressed Groups That Composed The Bridal Party.

 

Attended By A Bevy Of Young Maidens,  Edith,  In The Pride Of Her Womanly

Beauty,  Now Fully Matured And Developed,  Advanced With A Firm Step And

Knelt Before The Altar,  Her Symmetrical And Perfectly Faultless Figure

Appearing To Advantage In A Rich White Corded Silk,  With Its Superb

Train Of The Same Material,  The Whole Trimmed With Fine Old Point Lace

Of The Most Costly Description; Nor Did The Exquisitely Worked Veil She

Wore Conceal The Tresses Of Golden Brown Hair That Fell In Luxuriant

Ringlets On Her Alabaster Shoulders. The Magnificent Diamonds Of The

Begum Encircled Her Fail Brow,  Neck And Arms,  While Pendants Of The Same

Precious Stones Hung From Her Small,  Shell-Like Ears,  Their Brilliant

Prismatic Hues Shooting Forth And Glittering With Lustrous And Dazzling

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The Glorious Rays Of The Light Of Love And Joy That Danced And

Scintilated In The Deep Blue Eyes Of The Bride As She Stood Forth And

Plighted Her Troth To Him She So Fondly And Devotedly Loved,  And The

Face Of The Handsome Earl Beamed With Unclouded Happiness As He Placed

The Small Golden Circle On The Finger Of His Future Countess.

 

The Ceremony Was Not A Long,  But An Impressive One. The Bridal Anthem

Was Beautifully Rendered By The Choristers,  Accompanied By The Clear,

Full,  Deep Tones Of The Grand Old Organ. As The Clock In The Square

Tower Was Striking Twelve The Whole Party Left The Abbey,  And Were

Driven To The Earl's Mansion In Saint James' Square,  Where A Luxurious

Repast Was Prepared For Them,  To Which Ample Justice Was Done. At Two,

The Earl And Countess Stepped Into Their Traveling Carriage And Were

Whirled Off To Brighton,  From Which Point They Were To Start On Their

Bridal Tour Through Continental Europe.

 

The Bartons And Cotterells Left Town A Few Days Later For Their Homes In

Devonshire,  Where They Hoped To Be Comfortably Settled Ere The Honeymoon

Of The Happy Couple Should Have Terminated,  As It Was The Desire Of All

Concerned To Give Them An Enthusiastic Welcome On Their Return,  And

Arrangements And Preparations Were At Once Entered Upon To Make The

Occasion One Of General Rejoicing And Festivity,  And A General Holiday

To All In And Around Vellenaux.

 

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Of That Name,  Although Not Possessing All The Facilities For An

Agreeable Sojourn To The Lover Of Pleasure And Amusement That May Be

Found At The Capitals Of The Sister Presidencies--Bengal And Bombay--It

Having Neither The Healthy Climate Of The One,  Or The Wealth Of The

Other. Yet There Are Times And Seasons When Madras Is Very Enjoyable:

Just After The South-West Monsoons,  When All Nature Is Clothed In

Verdant Beauty,  And A Delightful Coolness Pervades The Air,  The

Neilgerie Hills Cannot Be Surpassed By Those Of Mahableshwa Or Any Other

Sanitary Station In India,  Even The Capital Itself,  Whose Shores Are

Washed By The Boiling Surf From Over The Triple Reefs Of Rocks During

The Rainy Season; But That Time Being Past,  A More Tranquil State Of

Things Pervades The Ocean,  And Cool Sea Breezes 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

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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

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