Vellenaux A Novel by Edmund William Forrest (phonics reading books TXT) 📕

Mark; He's A Horse Sojer I Knows,  And A Ossifer," As The Embroidered

Sabretache Of Captain Carlton Met His View While Ascending The Hall

Steps. "Well,  I Am Off," Said One To The Other And The Two Lads Went

Their Way.

"Show Me Into The Library,  And Hand This Card To Miss Effingham," Said

Arthur To A Servant At The Foot Of The Staircase. The Footman First

Looked At Him,  Then At The Name On The Card,  Then Said,  With A Low Bow,

"Certainly,  Sir,  Certainly," And Ushered The Captain To Rather A Snug

Little Apartment Which Was Used As A Library. Edith Was Dancing When The

Footman Entered. On The Conclusion Of The Waltz He Approached And

Quietly Handed Her The Card. A Flush Of Pleasure Lit Up Her Beautiful

Features,  And Joy Sparkled In Her Brilliant Eyes,  As She Read The Name,

And Without A Word To Any One,  Followed The Servant And Passed Straight

To The Room Where Her Lover Waited For Her. We Will Pass Over The

Transports Of Their First Meeting,--It Can Be Easily Imagined,  As The

Reader,  Is Already Aware Of Their Engagement,  And That He Had Returned

To England For The Sole Purpose Of Their Union. After The Emotion Of The

First Few Moments Had Subsided Arthur Related To Her The Accident By

Which Sir Ralph Had Been Killed,  And Of The Existence Of Her Uncle's

Will,  And The Way It Had Been Stolen By Mrs. Fraudhurst,  And Sir Ralph's

Complicity In The Plot.

A Feeling Of Regret At The Untimely End Of The Unhappy Man,  As He Had

Been Hurried Into Eternity Without Preparation,  Came Over Her For A Few

Moments,  This Was Chased Away By Indignation At The Fraudulent And Base

Part That Had Been Played By Her Late Governess And Companion. "What Has

Become Of Her?" She Inquired.

"Decamped,  And No Doubt Fled The Country Ere This; All That Is Known Of

Her Is That She Left Vellenaux On The Plea Of Rendering All The

Assistance In Her Power To Sir Ralph,  But She Did Not Make Her

Appearance In That Neighbourhood," Was Arthur's Answer. The Reader Knows

More Of Her Movements Than Any Of Her Acquaintances At Vellenaux Or

London.

"And We Shall Have Dear Old Vellenaux To Live In. Oh! Arthur Dear,  I Am

So Happy,  With All The Friends I Hold Most Dear On Earth Residing Around

Us. You Will Of Course Leave The Service Now? How Kind Of My Poor,  Dear

Uncle To Think Of Us Both In His Will. But Mrs. Barton May Notice My

Absence,  And Become Uneasy,  So Let Us Return;" And In Another Moment Or

Two,  Leaning On The Arm Of Her Handsome Affianced Husband,  Edith

Re-Entered The Ball Room,  Much To The Relief And Surprise Of Pauline

Barton. Arthur Carlton Took An Opportunity During The Evening Of

Relating To Mr. Barton The Change That Had Taken Place In Edith's

Circumstances By The Death Of,  And Disclosures Made By,  The Late

Baronet.

"Meet Me At Breakfast In The Morning,  And We Will Consult As To What

Immediate Steps Should Be Taken On This Extraordinary Occasion; But Of

Course You Will Sleep Here," Said Horace. Arthur Assented,  And Was Soon

Again At Edith's Side,  Who Had Told Confidentially To Mrs. Barton All

That He Had Told Her: And That Little Lady Could Not Restrain Her

Delight,  And Before Eleven O'clock That Evening,  Every One In The Room

Became Aware That The Beautiful Miss Effingham Was Worth Twenty Thousand

Pounds A Year As Heiress Of Vellenaux.

Mr. And Mrs. Denham,  Previous To The Ball,  Took Their Departure For

Devonshire,  And Were Comfortably Settled In The Rectory Before Horace

Returned To The Willows. He Had Postponed Their Journey In Order That

Arthur And Edith Might Have The Benefit Of His Advice And Assistance In

Such Matters As Might Arise During The Establishment Of Their Claims,

Set Forth In The Will Of The Late Sir Jasper,  Now Produced.

Mr. Septimus Jones Was A Lawyer Of Good Repute,  Carrying On His Practice

Now,  And Had Been Doing So For Upwards Of Fifteen Years In The Main

Street Of Hammersmith Leading To The Suspension Bridge.

"Nicholas," Said That Gentleman One Morning,  As He Laid On His Desk A

Copy Of The _Times_ Newspaper,  Which He Had Been Carefully Perusing For

Upwards Of An Hour,  "Nicholas,  Do You Remember A Youth Named Edward

Crowquill,  That I Had In My Office Some Ten Years Since?"

The Old And Confidential Clerk Ceased Writing,  And Thrusting His Pen

Behind His Ear,  Rubbed His Hands Softly Together,  And Said,  "Most

Certainly I Do. He Was Not Fit For The Business,  And Gave It Up Through

Ill Health; Studied Medicine For A Time,  And Is Now A Chemist And

Druggist,  Residing Some Hundred Yards Down The Street."

"Exactly So," Replied His Employer,  "You Will Be Good Enough To Put On

Your Hat And Go And Request Him To Do Me The Favor To Step Up Here For A

Few Moments." Nicholas Did His Master's Bidding,  And Returned Shortly,

Accompanied By Mr. Crowquill. Mr. Jones,  After Requesting Him To Be

Seated,  And Directing His Clerk To Pay Attention,  Took Up The Newspaper,

And Read,  In A Clear Voice The Following Advertisement: "To Lawyers And

Otters.--If The Party Who Drew The Will Of The Late Sir Jasper Coleman

Of Vellenaux,  Devonshire,  And Those Who Witnessed The Same Document Some

Ten Years Ago,  Will Call At The Office Of Messrs. Deeds,  Chancery,  And

Deeds,  Solicitors,  Gray's Inn Lane,  They Will Be Handsomely Rewarded For

Their Trouble." "Now,  Gentlemen," Continued He,  "I Drew This Will,  And

You Both Witnessed It. Do You Both Remember The Circumstance." After A

Little Reflection They Both Recollected The Circumstance.

"Oh! Since You Have Not Forgotten The Occurrence,  I Will Show You A

Rough Draft Of The Will Which I Made At The Time,  And By Reading This It

Will Refresh Your Memories,  And You Will Be Better Able To Swear To The

Real Will If It Should Be Produced."

"When Do You Purpose Calling Upon The Solicitors?" Enquired Crowquill.

"To-Morrow Morning We Will Call For You On Our Road To Town," Replied

Mr. Jones,  Politely Bowing His Visitor Out Of The Office.

Of The Early History Of Sir Lexicon Chutny Very Little Was Known. He Was

Of Dutch Extraction That Was Obvious,  Had Served For A Time In The

Madras Civil Service,  But On Acquiring A Large Property By The Death Of

A Distant Relative,  He Retired From That Service And Settled On One Of

His Plantations In Pallamcotta. How He Obtained His Title No One Knew Or

Enquired,  His Relative,  Now Deceased,  Was So Called,  And In His Will He

Directed That His Heir Should Assume His Name And Rank. He Was

Thoroughly Indian In His Tastes And Habits,  Sensual And Self Indulgent;

Saw Very Little European Society,  And Report Said That He Had Several

Native Mistresses,  And Was Reputed Very Wealthy. He Had Never Married,

For European Ladies At That Period Were Rarely To Be Met With In

Pallamcotta. It Must Have Been Business Of No Ordinary Importance To

Induce Him To Leave The Land Wherein He Had Been Born,  To Visit Hamburg,

Where He Made His Stay As Short As Possible. He Was Not Favorably

Impressed With The Frauleins And Fair-Haired Daughters Of Holland,  And

Was Now Returning Home In The "Great Mogul," A Dutch Indiaman Bound To

Madras.

"Wreck On The Lee Bow!" Shouted A Look Out From The Mast-Head. This

Excited Quite A Commotion On Deck,  From Whence The Object Was Soon

Discernable Through The Telescope,  And Soon After By The Naked Eye. The

Ship's Course Was Altered And She Bore Down Upon The Unfortunate Craft

To Render Such Assistance As Might Be Necessary. She Proved To Be The

Ship "Kaffir Chief," From Cork,  Bound To The Cape; She Had Been

Dismasted In One Of Those Terrific Storms Which So Frequently Occur In

These Latitudes,  And Was Now Lying Completely Water-Logged On The Bosom

Of The Treacherous Ocean. The Day Previous To The Wreck Had Been

Remarkably Fine,  But As Night Closed In The Wind Rose And Continued To

Increase Until It Blew A Perfect Hurricane. In Spite Of The Utmost

Exertions Of The Crew The Sails Were Blown Clear Of The Bolt Ropes,

Yards And Spars Were Carried Away,  When The Foremast Went By The Board

And The Main Topmast Fell With A Crash Into The Sea,  Seventeen Of The

Crew Were Hurled Into The Wild Waste Of Waters. A Little Before Daylight

A Tremendous Sea Struck Her Stern,  Unshipping The Rudder,  Carrying Away

The Wheel,  Round-House And Lockers,  Rendering Her Unmanageable,  And She

Was Tossed Helplessly Like A Log Upon The Mighty Billows. As The Day

Broke The Storm Somewhat Subsided,  A Scene Of Wild Desolation Was

Realized By Those On Board The Unfortunate Vessel,  As The Flashes Of

Broad Sheet Lightning,  With Which The Heavy Clouds Were Surcharged,

Occasionally Shot Forth. The Scene Was Startling And Terrific,  The Wild

Waves Were Breaking Over Her And Three More Of The Crew Were Swept

Overboard. As The Light Increased The Sea Began Gradually To Go Down,

And Spars And Pieces Of Wreck Were Seen Floating All Around,  Lifted Upon

The Surging Waves,  To Which Some Of The Unfortunate Seamen Had Clung

With The Grasp Of Despair,  Only To Be Again Thrown Into The Dark Trough

Of The Sea To Rise No More.

Although The Hurricane Had Subsided,  So Much Water Had Been Shipped That

The Pumps Had To Be Kept Continually Going To Prevent The Hull From

Going Down: To This Laborious Task All Had To Exert Themselves To The

Utmost,  And Only By This Means Could The Ship Be Kept Afloat. The

Self-Styled Mrs. Grenville Rendered Good Service In This Hour Of Peril,

She Voluntarily Took The Place Of The Steward,  Now Called To The Pumps