Vellenaux A Novel by Edmund William Forrest (booksvooks txt) 📕

British Troops In India,  And The Name Of Arthur Carlton Was Added To The

List Of Lieutenants Borne On The Muster Roll Of The Light Dragoons.

It Is Not Our Intention To Take The Reader Over The Battle Fields Of

Peshawa,  Suffice It To Say That Our Dragoon,  With His Regiment,  Scoured

The Plains Of The Punjaub Up To The Very Mouth Of The Iron Kybre Itself,

Which Had Proved Fatal To So Many Of Our Gallant Countrymen.

A Group Of Officers Had Assembled Around The Withered And Charred Stump

Of A Large Tree,  Chatting And Smoking,  The Ruddy Glare Of The

Neighboring Camp Fire Throwing Its Fitful Light Upon The Uniform And

Accoutrements Of The Little Party,  Showing Them To Be No Other Than Our

Old Friends Of H.M. Light Dragoons,  Waiting For The Order To Commence

Their Morning'S March.

"Why Are We Not On The Move?" Enquired Major Hackett,  As He Joined Them.

"Something Gone Wrong With The Baggage,  I Suppose," Responded One Of The

Party,  "But Here Comes Old Rations,  (For It Was By This Name That The

Quartermaster Was Usually Styled By The Men Of His Regiment) He,

Perhaps,  Can Tell Us Something About It."

"Well,  Quartermaster,  Can You Explain The Cause Of The Delay. Have You

Seen The Colonel,  Or Are We To Be Kept Here All Day?" And The Major

Flung Away The End Of His Cigar With An Air Of Annoyance. The

Good-Humored Quartermaster Explained,  In Somewhat Of A Round-About Way,

That Everything Would Be All Right In a Few Minutes.

"Out With It,  Davison,  Tell Us What Is The Row. You Don'T Laugh All Over

Your Face And Half Way Down Your Back For Nothing,  I Know," Said Arthur,

Reining Up His Horse Alongside That Of The Quartermaster,  Who,  By The

Way,  Was A Special Friend Of Our Young Lieutenant. "Just Illuminate And

Turn On The Gas A Little,  As It Were."

"Well,  Then,  Gentlemen," Resumed That Worthy Functionary,  "It Appears

That This Morning,  On The Elephants Being Brought Up To Carry The Mess

And Hospital Tents,  One Of The Number Was Found To Be Missing,  And The

Muccadem Declared That It Was Useless To Attempt To Put Anything Extra

On The Others,  For That They Would Not Stir A Peg If So Overloaded. I

Did Not Know What To Do In This Dilemma; The Tents Could Not Be Left

Behind,  So I Sent For Fortescue,  Who Was In charge Of The Government

Cattle,  To Ask His Advice. In a Few Minutes He Came Cantering Up. I

Explained Matters. The Elephant Cannot Be Far Off." At This Moment A

Muccadem Came Running Up To Say That The Animal Was In The Jungle,  About

A Quarter Of A Mile Off,  But Was Refractory And Would Not Budge An Inch

In The Direction Of The Camp.

"Divide His Load Among The Other Four," Said Fortescue.

"But They Will Not Carry It,  Sir," Replied The Native Inspector.

"I Know That As Well As You Can Tell Me,  But Do As I Order You."

The Inspector Salammed And Obeyed,  But The Animals Would Not Move. "Now

Take Off The Load From Two And Give Them A Couple Of Tether Chains."

This Was Done,  The Loads Removed,  And A Long Chain,  Used For Camp

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.

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