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

Of Sherry,  Which He And Carlton,  Nothing Loath,  Quaffed Off.

"And Now For The Stroll. I Must Call At The Bartons And Mention This

Piece Of News To Edith; But,  My Dear Fellow,  Not A Word Of It At The

Clubs. Of Course,  They Will Hear Of It From The Newspapers Before The

World Is Many Hours Older."

Arthur Was Right,  For The _Pall Mall Gazette_,  Of The Following Day,

Announced The Retirement From The Service Of Captain Carlton,  Light

Dragoons,  By The Sale Of His Commission,  And The _Court Circular_ Of The

Same Date Created Quite An Excitement In Fashionable Circles By The

Following: "_On Dit_.--Captain A. Carlton,  Late Of The Light Dragoons,

Has Just Succeeded To The Title And Estates Of His Great Grandfather,

The Late Earl Of Castlemere,  Which Title Had Lain Dormant For Several

Years,  In consequence Of The Only Son Of The Late Nobleman Never Having

Assumed The Title,  And Died In Obscurity Abroad,  And We,  Learn That The

New Earl Is About To Lead To The Hymenial Altar The Beautiful Miss

Effingham,  Heiress Of The Splendid Estate Of Vellenaux In devonshire."

The News Of The Alteration In carlton'S Social Position Was Received

With The Utmost Satisfaction In berkly Square. Edith Was Too Firmly

Convinced Of The Unalterable Attachment Of Her Lover To Fear That A

Change Of Fortune Would,  In any Way,  Alienate Or Weaken The Love He Bore

Her,  Believing,  As She Did,  That Arthur Loved Her With All The Devotion

Of A Long Tried Affection. Certain Alterations In The Programme Had To

Be Made,  Consequent On The Elevation To The Peerage Of The Bridegroom

Elect. The Wedding,  Which,  Was To Have Taken Place In devonshire,  Was

Now To Be Celebrated In London; This Entailed A Delay Of Some Few Weeks

In Order That The Family Mansion Of The Castlemeres,  In Saint James'

Square,  Might Be Re-Decorated And Furnished In a Style Befitting The

Occasion.

As The Rent Role Of The Carlton Abbey Property Produced An Income Equal

To A Clear Ten Thousand A Year,  Arthur Now Considered Himself In a

Position To Carry Out The Great Desire Of His Heart,  That Of Presenting

To His Beloved Edith The Costly Gems He Had Brought With Him From India.

He Therefore Took Them To One Of The Leading Jewelers In London For

Arrangement And Re-Setting,  And Among The Beautiful And Costly Wedding

Presents From The Aristocratic Connections Of The Earl,  From The Bartons

And Others Who Had Known Edith From Her Infancy,  There Were None That

Could Compare In any Way With The Magnificent Diamond Tiara Ear Rings

And Bracelets,  The Cross Rings And Brooches Of Rubies,  Pearls And

Diamonds,  From The Jewel Case Of That Mutinous Indian Princess,  The

Begum Of Runjetpoora.

With Such Zeal And Good Will Did The Lawyers On Both Sides Work,  That In

Less Than Three Months From The Death Of Sir Ralph Coleman,  Edith Was In

Possession Of Vellenaux,  And Arthur Had Been Recognized And Installed As

Earl Of Castlemere,  And Master Of Carlton Abbey,  That Being The Name Of

The Estate In Nottinghamshire,  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

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

Brilliancy At Each Movement Of The Wearer; But Far Brighter Than All Was

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.

The City Of Madras,  The Seat Of Government And Capital Of The Presidency

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