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

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 All About That Accident,  Where

The Baronet Is,  And Who Is With Him,  And All You Know Concerning This

Sad Affair."

The Man Related All He Knew,  And Something That He Had Heard. "The

Gentleman That Sent Me For Mr. Russell They Called Captain Carlton." At

This Name She Again Started,  And,  In Spite Of Herself,  Trembled

Perceptibly,  But The Man Went On--

"There Was Something Said About A Stolen Will,  Which Sir Ralph Wanted To

Enquire About,  Or Something Of That Sort,  And I Am In Great Haste."

"Stay One Moment. Did You Say Sir Ralph Was Not Expected To Live?"

"The Doctors Said He Could Not Last More Than A Few Hours."

By This Time She Had Recovered Her Presence Of Mind. "Mr. Russell," She

Said,  "Was Here This Morning,  But Has Returned To Southampton; You Must

Have Passed Him On Your Way Here; Return My Good Fellow As Quickly As

You Can,  And Let Him Know All That You Have Told Me." She Gave Him A

Sovereign And Said,  "I Will Be There Almost As Soon As Yourself."

The Man Took The Coin With A Bow,  And Started For The Railway Station,

And Mrs. Fraudhurst Returned To The House,  Where She Well Knew Mr.

Russell Then Was Settling Home Matters With The Steward. She Went

Directly To Her Own Apartment To Form Plans Of Immediate Action. "Arthur

Is In england,  Sir Ralph Dying,  The Will Found In His Possession; He Has