Vellenaux A Novel by Edmund William Forrest (phonics reading books TXT) π
Sending A Flood Of Soft, Mellow Rainbow Tinted Light Through The
Quaintly Curved And Deeply Mullioned Windows Which Adorned A Portion Of
The Eastern Wing Of That Grand Old Baronial Residence, Vellenaux, On A
Fine September Morning, At The Period During Which Our Story Opens. This
Handsome Pile, Now The Property Of Sir Jasper Coleman, Had Been Erected
By One Of His Ancestors, Reginald De Coleman, During The Reign Of The
Fifth Henry.
This Gallant Knight Had Rendered That Monarch Great Service During His
Wars In France, Especially At Agincourt, Where His Skill And Bravery Was
So Conspicuous, And Used To So Great Advantage, That King Henry, On His
Return To England, Rewarded His Faithful Follower With A Grant Of Land
In Devonshire, On Which He Was Enabled, With The Spoils He Had Acquired
And The Ransoms Received From His French Prisoners Of Note, To Erect A
Magnificent Chateaux, Which He Called Vellenaux, After Francois, Count
De Vellenaux, A French Noble, Whose Ransom Contributed Largely To Its
Construction. Here He Continued To Reside Until His Death, Which
Occurred Several Years After.
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- Author: Edmund William Forrest
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Strong For Tiger Shooting And All That Kind Of Game," Was The Reply.
"He Appears To Go In--As You Call It--Pretty Strong For Another
Description Of Game. Why, This Is The Third Time He Has Danced With That
Young Lady. Rather Strong, That, I Should Say For A First Introduction,"
Responded The Colonel, About To Move Off, When His Friend Continued:
"Oh, They Are Old Acquaintances. I Met Him At The Bartons This
Afternoon, Where He Appeared Quite At Home, Turning Over The Music And
Accompanying _La Belle_, Edith, In One Of Her Favourite Songs,
Apparently Very Much To Each Others Satisfaction. But The Next Waltz Is
About To Commence," Said Captain Hopkins, "And I Must Claim My Partner,"
And The Man Who Knew Everything And Everybody Was Soon Waltzing With
Great Assiduity.
"You Will Allow Me The Pleasure Of Attending You In Your Morning And
Evening Rides, Whenever My Duties Will Admit Of It, Dear Edith,"
Whispered Arthur As He Handed Her To The Carriage At The Close Of The
Festivities. With A Sweet Smile The Promise Was Given, And The Carriage
Whirled Off.
The New A.D.C. Soon Became A General Favourite. Courteous And
Gentlemanly In The Drawing Room, And Ever Ready To Attend The Ladies _En
Cavalier_, He Could Not Fail To Win The Esteem Of The Fair Sex. He Was A
First-Class Swordsman, A Bold Rider, And A Keen Sportsman; Therefore
Held In Great Repute By His Companions In Arms. He Had Scoured The
Jungles For Thirty Miles Around Goolampore, And Knew The Haunts Of The
Tiger And Cheetah Better Than Any Man In The Station. This Was Proved By
The Numerous Trophies In The Shape Of Skins And Heads That He Brought
In. So Our Young Friend, Basking In The Smiles Of Beauty, And Especially
Of Hers Whom He Loved So Well, Was Consequently Envied By Others Less
Fortunate In This Respect Than Himself; And In This Delightful Manner
Weeks Passed Away. But Dark Clouds Were Rising In The Distance Which
Were Gradually Closing Around Them To Destroy The Tranquility Of The
Station.
Chapter 10 Pg 68
The Native Regiments; But At First Little Notice Was Taken Of The
Circumstance, It Being Believed That The Rumours Were Greatly
Exaggerated, And That, If There Was Anything Really In It, The Matter
Would Soon Be Put To Rights By The Government, Either By Proclamation Or
By Force Of Arms. But Report Followed Report And The Mutiny Continued,
When The Massacre At Cawnpore Took Place, And The Affair At Lucknow, And
The Horrors Enacted At The Star Fort Of Jansee, Where The Officer
Commanding, After Doing Everything That Could Be Done To Protect The
Unfortunate Inmates, Just As The Mutineers Were In The Act Of Bursting
Open The Gates, Well Knowing What Would Be The Result Should They Fall
Into The Hands Of The Remorseless Natives, With His Own Hand Shot His
Wife And Child, And Then Deliberately Blew Out His Own Brains. Those Who
Were Captured Met A Death So Horrible And Revolting At The Hands Of And
Under The Immediate Supervision Of That Incarnate Fiend And She Devil,
The Rannee Of Jansee, The Details Of Which Are Totally Unfit For
Publication. Then, And Not Till Then, The Magnitude Of The Danger Was
Realized.
Mr. Barton, Whose Health Had Been On The Decline Some Weeks Past, And
Whose Term Of Service In India Nearly Expired, Declared That He Would No
Longer Remain In The Country, And Obtained Leave Of Absence To Proceed
To Bombay, In Anticipation Of Finally Leaving For Europe. Mrs. Barton,
Always Nervous, Became Alarmed For Her Personal Safety, And Urged Their
Immediate Departure With Much Vehemence, And It Was Arranged That They
Should Start At Once For Rutlaum _En Route_ For The Sea Coast, And That
Miss Effingham Should Remain And See Everything Packed Up And The
Servants Sent On, Then Follow Herself And Overtake Them At Rutlaum,
Where They Were To Make A Halt For A Few Days. Several Other Families
Also Left About The Same Time, For The Tide Of Mutiny And Rebellion Was
Now Sweeping Like The Red Pestilence Through The Whole Of The North West
Provinces. Mohow, Indore, Meidpoore, Mundasore, Neemuch And Other Places
Of Greater Or Lesser Note, Had Already Become The Scene Of Many A Bloody
Drama And Fiendish Outrage. In Fact, Whenever Native Troops Had Been
Located, Ruin And Desolation Reigned Triumphant. Public Edifices Were
Thrown Down, Bungalows Burned And The Bazaars Plundered, While Helpless
And Unprotected Europeans, Irrespective Of Sex Or Age, Were Seized, And
After Suffering The Most Brutal Indignities, Ruthlessly Slaughtered By
The Fanatical And Blood-Thirsty Native Soldiery.
Chapter 10 Pg 69Goolampore And Its Immediate Vicinity, Up To The Present Period, Had
Remained In Perfect Tranquility. The Native Mind Was Apparently
Undisturbed By The Great Convulsions That Were Now Shaking, To Its Very
Centre, The Supremacy Of British Power In India; But It Was Only The
Lull Before The Storm, Which Was So Soon To Burst And Fall Like A
Thunderbolt On The Hitherto Peaceful Station.
The Brigade Here Consisted Of The Following Troops: One Troop Of
European Horse Artillery, One Regiment Of Native Cavalry, And Two
Battalions Of Sepoys. This Force Was Commanded By A Brigadier Of The
Bengal Army; But, Having Been On The Staff For Many Years, Was Unequal
To An Emergency Like The Present, And Such Was His Belief In The Loyalty
Of The Men Under His Command, That He Refused To Listen To The Reports
Made To Him From Time To Time By His Staff, And Others Well Qualified To
Give An Opinion On The Matter, Until It Was Too Late And Many Valuable
Lives Had Been Sacrificed.
The Evening Was Clear And Calm, Countless Stars Studded The Dark Purple
Vault Of Heaven. The Young Moon Shed Her Silvery Light O'er Lake And
Mountain, The Atmosphere Was No Longer Influenced By The Stifling Heat
Of The Scorching Sun; A Deliciously Cool Breeze Wafted From The Ocean
That Rolled Into The Gulf Of Cambay, And Washed The Shores Of The
Goozeratte, Played And Rustled Among The Leaves Of The Trees And
Flowers, Imparting To The Senses A Delicious Feeling Of Relief And
Delight.
In A Broad And Spacious Verandah Of The Cavalry Mess House Were
Assembled A Group Of Officers Of Different Corps. Some Stretched At Full
Length On Ottomans, Enjoying The Music Of An Excellent Band; Others
Smoking, Laughing Or Chatting On The Various Events That Were Passing
Around Them.
"Listen To Me, Gentlemen," Said A Tall, Handsome Man, About Thirty, And
The Very _Beau Ideal_ Of A Cavalry Officer, Who Had For Some Time Been
Leaning Over The Balustrade Of The Verandah, Quietly Puffing Circles Of
White Smoke From His Cheroot, And Gazing Thoughtfully On The Moonlit
Scene Before Him, And Who Had Hitherto Taken No Part In The Conversation
That Was Going On. "This Deceitful Calm," Said He, Drawing Himself Up To
His Full Height, And Advancing To The Centre Of The Group, "Will Not,
Cannot Last Much Longer, And It Is High Time That Something Should Be
Done For The Protection Of The Families Of The European Warrant Officers
And Staff, Non-Commissioned Officers And Others Who Are Residing At
Different Parts Of The Station, And Who Would Be The First To Fall
Victims To The Licentious Passion And Murderous Designs Of The Troops,
Should An Outbreak Ensue Before We Are Re-Enforced By More Europeans."
"Right! Major Collingwood Is Right," Exclaimed A Colonel Of One Of The
Sepoy Battalions; "Too Much Valuable Time Has Already Been Lost. What
The Deuce Has Come To The Brigadier? Huntingdon, Of The Artillery,
Proposed To Him To Give An Order For The Families Of The Europeans Of
His Troop To Move At Once Into The Fort, But He Would Not Listen To Him,
Stating That There Was No Necessity For Such A Course, And That He Would
Chapter 10 Pg 70Answer For The Loyalty And Good Behavior Of The Troops Under His
Command."
"This Comes Of Trusting The Lives And Property Of Europeans In The Care
Of General D---- And Others Of His Stamp, Who From A Long Association In
A Civil Capacity With The Natives, Have Become So Wrapped Up In Them,
And So Hoodwinked, That They Will See Nothing, Only Through The
Spectacles Provided For Them By The Native Functionaries, Who Always
Toady And Flatter Their European Masters," Was The Contemptuous Remark
Of One Of The Party. The Last Speaker Was Here Interrupted By The
Brigade Major, Who Came Bounding Up The Steps Of The Verandah, Three At
A Time. "What Is The Matter, Grey?" Enquired Several Voices At One Time.
"Oh! There Has Been The Devil To Pay At Headquarters, And No Pitch Hot,"
Was The Hasty Reply Of The Staff Officer. "Explain Yourself, If You
Please," Said Major Collingwood. "What Has Taken Place?"
"Why Huntingdon, In Spite Of The Brigadier's Refusal To Grant
Permission, Has Sent The Married People Of His Troop Within The Fort,
And Detailed Several Troopers To Man The Guns, And Put The Place In A
State Of Defence, In Case Of Any Sudden Rising Among The Natives.
General D---- Became Furious When Huntingdon Told Him What He Had Done,
And Threatened To Arrest Him. On Young Carlton, The New A.D.C., Taking
Sides With The Commander Of The Artillery, And Applauding The Act, Old
D---- Turned Upon Him Like A Lion. A Violent Squabble Ensued, Which
Resulted In Arthur Carlton Resigning His Appointment On The Staff, And
Expressed His Determination To Rejoin His Regiment Without Delay."
"Well Done, Huntingdon. That Is A Step In The Right Direction. It Is A
Pity That The Non-Commissioned Staff Of The Station Could Not Have Been
Included," Responded Several Voices; And All Praised The Plucky Way In
Which Young Carlton Had Acted, Though Sorry To Lose The Services Of So
Valuable A Sabre As Arthur Was Known To Be, Especially At A Time When
Stout Hearts And Bold Riders Were Necessary To The Salvation Of The
Station.
"Pinkerton, Jones, And Others Acted Wisely In Sending Their Families
Away Last Week; But I Do Not Think It Was Quite The Thing For The
Bartons To Leave The Pretty Miss Effingham Behind To Arrange Their
Household Affairs, And Then Make Her Way To Rutlaum As She Best Could.
Who Will See Her There In Safety?" Exclaimed The Staff Surgeon.
"Oh, As Far As That Matters, That Young Lady Would, Doubtless, Have A
Score Of Volunteers To Act As Her Escort, Should She Require One," Said
The First Speaker; "But I Do Not Think She Would Accept Such An Offer,
Nor Do
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