Vellenaux A Novel by Edmund William Forrest (best e book reader TXT) 📕

Clearing The Wreck And Getting Things Into Trim Again; Although A Number

Were Hurt,  Some Slightly,  Others More Seriously,  There Were None

Reported Actually Killed; And A Great Number Of The Passengers Were More

Frightened Than Hurt.

"This Way," Said An Official To Some Four Or Five Men,  Who Were Carrying

A Gentleman That Appeared To Be More Seriously Injured Than Any Of The

Rest. "Lay Him Down Softly On That Grassy Bank;" Then Raising His Voice

Called Out,  "Is There Any Medhal Man At Hand?"

"Here,  Draycott,  Although On Leave You Must Come To The Rescue. Horrid

Bore To Be Thus Detained,  Is It Not," Said Arthur,  As They Hastened To

The Spot.

"Fall Back There,  Men,  Fall Back; Give The Gentleman More Air,  And Let

The Doctor Pass." At The Decided And Authoritative Tone Of Carlton's

Voice The Crowd,  Who By This Time Had Gathered Around The Sufferer,  Gave

Way. The Surgeon Went To Work Immediately And Examined The Unfortunate

Man Thoroughly. "Bad Case," He Said In A Whisper To Carlton. "Broken

Thigh Bone,  Ribs Crushed,  And Something Worse Internally,  I Am Afraid."

At This Moment Carlton Got A Good Look At The Features Of The Injured

Man. "Can It Be Possible! Yes,  It Is Sir Ralph Coleman!" At The Mention

Of His Name The Baronet Opened His Eyes And,  For A Second Or Two,  Looked

Fully At The Speaker,  Then Said With A Great Effort,  For Pain Had

Hitherto Kept Him Silent:

"Yes,  Arthur Carlton,  It Is I. How Came You Here? Do Not Leave Me." And

Here Sir Ralph Fainted From Loss Of Blood.

"Is There A Public House Or Farm Near?" Enquired Carlton.

"Yes," Replied One Of The Bystanders,  "There Is Farmer Wheatley's Just

Down There In The Hollow; They Will Do What They Can For The Poor

Gentleman."

"I Will Pay The Men Well That Will Carry Him There," Said Carlton,

Addressing A Number Of Farmers' Men,  Who Had By This Time Come Up. The

Rank Of The Injured Man,  And The Offer Of Payment,  Had A Wonderful

Effect. A Dozen Volunteered,  At Once. A Gate Was Taken Off Its Hinges,

And Some Of The Cushions Of The Injured Carriage Placed Upon This Litter

And,  Under The Direction Of Doctor Draycott,  Sir Ralph Was Conveyed To

The Farm House In The Hollow.

"You Seemed To Be Well Acquainted With My Patient," Said Draycott.

"Oh,  Yes. He Is Sir Ralph Coleman,  Of Vellenaux. He Succeeded To The

Title And Estate On The Death Of Sir Jasper,  Miss Effingham's Uncle,  By

Which She Was Left Almost Penniless. You Have Heard Her History,  I

Suppose,  In India. These Things Always Leak Out Somehow Or Other In The

Service."

"In That Case,  My Dear Fellow,  I Must Go No Further Than The Door With

You. To The Best Of My Belief He Will Not Live More Than Eight Hours,

And I Must Have Other Opinion And Advice In His Case. I Think It Would

Be As Well To Have The Clergyman And A Lawyer Without Loss Of Time. He

May Have Something Of Importance To Communicate To You Or Miss Effingham

Ere He Dies,  For I Have Some Indistinct Notion That I Have Heard

Something Very Unfavorable Spoken About The Said Baronet,  Now I Hear The

Name Again. Let Him Be Got To Bed As Soon As Possible. What Is The Name

Of Your Nearest Town,  And The Distance To It?" Enquired Draycott Of The

Farmer.

"Fallowfield Is About Two Miles From Here,  Sir. There Is A Good Road And

No One Could Miss It," Was The Reply.

"Let Me Have A Horse And I Will Go Myself And Get What I Require;

Captain Carlton Will Remain Until I Return," And The Young Surgeon Was

Soon On His Way At A Hand Gallop. In The Meantime The Good People Of The

Farm Were Doing All In Their Power To Render The Sufferings Of Their

Wounded Guest As Little Painful As Possible; And Every Attention Was

Shown Him. He Spoke But Little; But Several Times Asked For Carlton,  And

On Seeing Him Only Repeated,  "Do Not Leave Me Yet,  Arthur,  I May Have

Something To Say Concerning You And Miss Effingham."

In Less Time Than Could Have Been Expected,  Draycott Returned,

Accompanied By The Best Surgeon In Fallowfield,  The Rector,  And A Lawyer

Of Good Standing In That Town. Again The Patient Was Examined,  After

Which A Consultation Was Held In The Farmer's Parlour,  Which Lasted

About A Quarter Of An Hour; The Medical Men Then Returned To The

Bed-Chamber.

The Baronet Scrutinized Their Features Narrowly As They Re-Entered The

Room. "Oh!" Said He,  Breathing With Intense Difficulty,  "I See There Is

No Hope For Me; But Tell Me Frankly,  How Long Is It Your Opinion That I

Can Live?"

"Doctor Draycott And Myself," Replied The Surgeon From Fallowfield--Who

Being Much The Senior Took The Lead--"Deem It Expedient That You Should

Send For Your Man Of Business As Soon As Possible," Thus Evading The

Direct Question.

Ralph Passed His Hand Across His Brow And Remained Silent A Few Moments.

"You May Do So,  But It Is Too Late I Am Afraid. Get The Nearest Lawyer

You Can,  But Be Quick For My Strength Is Failing Fast,  And Send Captain

Carlton To Me At Once."

"Arthur," He Continued,  As The Young Man Advanced,  "I Have Deeply

Wronged Edith And Yourself: In The Breast Pocket Of That Coat Yonder Is

A Paper Packet,  Bring It To Me." Arthur Obeyed And Placed It On The

Counterpane. Ralph Laid His Hand Upon It And Said,  "There Is Yet Time

To Make Restitution. This Is The Will Of The Late Sir Jasper Coleman,

Stolen From His Desk On The Morning Of His Death. Has The Lawyer Sent

For Yet Arrived? If So,  I Will Give My Deposition On Oath,  Ere It Is Too

Late: I Am Not A Principal,  But An Accessory. After The Fact--" Here Sir

Ralph Fell Back On The Pillow,  And Remained Motionless Several Minutes,

During Which Time The Rector And Lawyer Had Been Summoned From The

Parlor Below. The Rector Being A Magistrate Undertook To Put A Few

Questions To The Dying Man Before He Gave,  His Testimony. When

Sufficiently Recovered To Speak,  The Baronet,  In A Husky Voice,  Related

The Whole Of His Interview With Mrs. Fraudhurst,  Her Production Of The

Will And The Compact Entered Into Between Them. The Document Was Sworn

To,  Signed And Duly Witnessed By Those Present.

"Arthur Give This Will Into The Hands Of Miss Effingham,  Or Her Legal

Adviser,  And Obtain Her Forgiveness For Me." This The Gallant Soldier

Faithfully Promised To Do. The Room Was Then Cleared Of All Except The

Rector And The Dying Baronet. He Lingered Until Sometime After Midnight,

And Ere The Light Of Another Day Dawned,  His Spirit Had Passed Away,  And

The Baronetcy Became Extinct.

During The Following Day Mr. Russell,  The Agent,  Arrived,  And Arthur,  In

The Name Of Miss Effingham,  Authorized Him To Settle All Claims,  And

Have The Body Of The Late Sir Ralph Conveyed To Vellenaux For Interment.

Having Thus Arranged Matters,  Captain Carlton And His Friend Draycott

Started By The Next Train For London.

It Was By No Means An Uncommon Occurrence For Sir Ralph To Absent

Himself From Home For A Day Or Two Without Communicating To Any One His

Intentions Or The Direction In Which He Was Going,  Therefore His Absence

At The Dinner Table In The Evening Did Not Excite Any Misgivings In The

Mind Of Mrs. Fraudhurst,  But His Non-Appearance At The Breakfast Table

The Following Morning Caused Considerable Disquietude To That Amiable

Person. Hurried On By Her Ambition She Had Aimed At Too High A Prize,

And In So Doing Had Let Slip The Reins Of Power. The Possession Of The

Will Was The Only Hold She Had Ever Had On The Baronet And Now When Too

Late She Perceived,  To Her Dismay,  The Awkward Position In Which She

Stood. Ever Suspicious Of The Motives Of Others; She Now Tormented

Herself With Apprehensions Concerning His Absence,  And The Business That

Could Have Taken Him Away At That Particular Time. From The Servants She

Could Gain No Information Regarding His Movements; But It Occurred To

Her That Old Bridoon,  The Gate-Keeper,  Could Throw Some Light On The

Subject,  And Therefore Determined To Lose No Time In Questioning Him As

To The Direction Taken By His Master.

The Person Who Had Been Despatched To Southampton To Summon Mr. Russell,

The Agent,  Found The Gentleman In Question Had Gone To Vellenaux,  And

Thinking From What He Had Overheard That It Was A Matter Of Considerable

Importance,  Made No Longer Delay In That Good Town Than Was Actually

Necessary,  But Took The First Train To Switchem,  And From Thence On Foot

To The Lodge Gates,  And Walked Quickly Up The Avenue; When Near The Lawn

He Encountered Mrs. Fraudhurst,  Who,  Noticing Him To Be A Stranger And

In Haste,  Accosted Him And Enquired His Business.

"I Am Looking For Mr. Russell,  My Lady," Was His Reply.

"He Resides In Southampton; But Where Have You Come From,  And Who Is It

That Wishes To See Him?"

"Sir Ralph Coleman,  My Lady,  Has Met With An Accident About Two Miles

From Fallowfield,  And Is Not Expected To Live Long. He Has Sent For His

Agent,  And I Have Been To Southampton,  But Was Told That I Should Find

Him Here."

The Widow Started And Turned Deadly Pale. "He Has The Will With Him,"

She Thought.

"I Beg Pardon,  My Lady,  For Being So Abrupt,--Perhaps You Are Lady

Coleman," For He Noticed Her Start And Change Color.

"Pray Go On,  My Good Fellow,  And Tell Me