Vellenaux A Novel, Edmund William Edmund William [reading a book .TXT] 📗

Alliance And An Enviable Position

Whenever She Cared To Enter Upon The Responsibility Of Married Life,  And

It Appeared Evident That Edith Was In No Hurry To Take The Initiative Or

Allow Herself To Be Led Away By The Flattering Speeches She Daily Heard

From Those,  By Whom She Was Surrounded. Nor Was Mrs. Barton At All

Desirous That She Should Enter Into Any Such Engagement,  For She Was

Well Aware That It Was The Charm Of Her Fair Friend'S Manner That Drew

To Her House The Most Agreeable And Handsomest Men Of The Capital. She

Knew Likewise That It Was Horace'S Intention To Settle In england As

Soon As His Term Of Service Should Expire,  And It Would Then Be Time For

Edith To Select From Her Numerous Admirers The One She Most Preferred,

But Until That Time She Should Be Exceedingly Sorry To Part With Her.

 

"Do You Intend Spending The Day At Mrs. Deborah'S?" Enquired Mrs. Barton

Of Edith As They Rose From The Breakfast Table. Edith Replied In The

Affirmative. "Well,  Then,  I Will Send The Palkee For You; But Do Not Be

Late,  My Dear,  For Dinner." She Had No Intention Of Being Too Late,  As

She Knew That In all Probability Arthur Would Make His Appearance During

The Evening. The Distance From The Bartons To Her Friend'S Bungalow Was

Not More Than Half A Mile. The Road Lay Through A Very Picturesque But

Somewhat Lonely Part Of The Suburbs. The Date And Stately Palms,

Intermingled With The Blossom Of The Gold Mohur Trees,  Looked So Very

Lovely By The Light Of The Setting Sun. For Some Cause Or Other Edith'S

Palkee Did Not Arrive At The Time Appointed,  And Not Wishing To Trouble

Her Friend--Who Usually Sent Her Children At Sunset In Their Palkee For

An Airing--And Attracted By The Beauty Of The Scene,  She Started To Walk

Home,  Thinking Of The Pleasure Of Meeting Arthur. Her Mind Was Engaged

On This Subject When She Reached A Date Grove,  A Short Distance From The

Road Side,  And So Busy Was She With Her Thoughts,  She Had Not Noticed

That For The Past Few Minutes She Had Been Followed By A Tall,  Burly

Mussulman,  And He Came Upon Her Before She Was Aware Of His Presence.

Without A Word Of Warning,  He Threw His Long Arms Around Her Waist,  And

Endeavored To Drag Or Carry Her To The Date Grove. There Could Be No

Mistaking His Intentions,  And He Would No Doubt Have Succeeded In

Carrying Out His Villainous Design--For The Terrified Girl Was In a Half

Fainting Condition,  And Unable From The Suddenness Of The Attack,  To

Offer Much Resistance--When Arthur Carlton,  Who Had Been Attracted To

The Spot By Her Shrieks And Cries For Help,  Came To The Rescue. He Had

Called At The Bungalow,  And Learning Where She Might Be Found,  Had Set

Out In Search Of Her,  And Arrived Just In Time. The Ruffian Managed To

Make Good His Escape,  Not,  However,  Before He Had Received Several

Marks Of Arthur'S Favor From The Horsewhip He Carried. He Then Supported

The Still,  Trembling Girl Home,  And She Soon Forgot,  In His Society,  The

Danger Which Had Menaced Her.

 

Exasperated Beyond Measure At So Rare An Occurrence As The Attack Made

On His Beloved Edith,  He At Once Sought The Aid Of The Police,  And From

The Description Given They Soon Succeeded In Tracing The Offender,  Who

Proved To Be A Subaltern Of The Native Cavalry. The Affair Was Reported

To Head Quarters,  And A Court Of Enquiry Was Summoned Which Resulted In

The Court Martial And Dismissal From Service Of The Blackguard,  Who

Immediately Left The Station,  Vowing To Have His Revenge On Carlton,

Should Ever An Opportunity Occur For So Doing,  And This,  With A

Mahammedan Means Mischief,  For They Never Rest In Their Endeavors To

Effect A Purpose.

 

The Duties Which Brought Carlton To Calcutta Were Now At An End,  And The

Lieutenant Had To Return To Head Quarters. Edith,  Being Of An Enquiring

Turn Of Mind,  Acquired A Great Deal Of Information Respecting The

Natives' Character,  Their Castes,  Customs And Ceremonies,  And By The Aid

Of A Moonshee Soon Learned To Speak With Ease And Fluency The Hindostan

Language. This She Turned To Account In The Management Of The Household

Servants.

 

Calcutta Is The Largest City In british India,  And Is Situated On The

Bank Of The Hoogley,  One Of The Branches Of The River Ganges,  Held As

Sacred By The Natives. There Are Quite A Number Of Europeans And

Professing Christians,  Numbering In The Aggregate About Fourteen

Thousand,  The Principal Portions Of Which Are Half Castes,  Three

Quarter Castes,  Euroasians,  Portuguese And Hindoo Britons. The Half

Castes Are The Progeny Of The European Men And Native Women. The

Three-Quarter-Castes,  That Of European Fathers And Half-Caste Mothers.

The Euroasians Spring From European And Three-Quarter-Caste Parents,

While The Hindoo Britons Are The Children Of European Parents,  Born In

India. The Portuguese Likewise Intermarry With These Classes. These

People Make Up The Principal Number Of Those Professing Christianity

Throughout The Presidency. The Churches Of England,  Rome,  And Scotland

Were Well Attended By The Officers Of The Civil Service,  Army And Navy,

With Their Families,  Among Which There Is Very Little Sectarianism. But

The Roman Catholic Faith Is Largely Diffused Among The Other Classes.

The Native Population Of All Castes Number About Six Hundred Thousand,

And Although They Have No Regular Sunday Or Day Of Rest,  They Have Quite

A Number Of Religious Festivals Or Holidays Which They Scrupulously

Observe.

 

The Principal Festival,  And The One Most Religiously Kept Of All The

Holidays Among The True Believers--As The Followers Of Mahomet Style

Themselves--Is That Of The Moharum,  Which Lasts Ten Days,  Commencing

From The Appearance Of The New Moon,  In The Month Of November,  During

Which Time Handsome Temples And Mosques Are Constructed Of Bamboo And

Paper,  And Embellished With Glass,  Paint And Gilding. On The Last Day

They Are Carried In Grand Procession Through The Public Thoroughfares,

Proceeded By A Band Of Music And Accompanied By An Immense Concourse Of

Spectators. Many Of The Faithful Prostrate Themselves Before These

Taboots,  And In Many Instances Rolling Over And Over In The Muddy

Streets For A Considerable Distance,  Being Generally Well Primed With

Bang Or Opium. There Are Occasional Disturbances Between The Fanatics Of

The Different Castes,  For Many Of These Work Themselves Up To A Pitch Of

Frenzy By The Use Of Narcotics And Other Stimulants,  But The Government

Always Take Steps To Prevent Any Serious Outbreak,  By Having The Troops

Posted In different Parts Of The Town,  Ready To Turn Out At A Moment'S

Notice,  And A Strong Body Of Police Mounted And On Foot Accompany The

Procession To Enforce Order. At Sunset They Reach The River,  And The

Day'S Proceedings Terminate By The Taboots Being Thrown Into The Water,

Amid The Shouts,  Gesticulation And Vociferations Of The Now Thoroughly

Excited Populace.

 

The Dewally Festival Is Equally Recognized By Natives Of All Castes And

Denominations As A Sort Of New Year'S Day. Accounts For The Past Year

Are Closed,  And New Books Are Opened. The Dirt And Rubbish Of The Past

Twelvemonth Is Removed,  The Houses Thoroughly Cleansed And At Night The

City Or Town Is Illuminated With Lamps,  Chinese Lanterns,  And Other

Descriptions Of Lights,  And The Houses Thrown Open For General

Hospitality.

 

The Hooley,  The Most Revolting Of All Hindoo Festivals,  Draws Together

An Immense Concourse Of People. Large Fires Are Made On The Sides Of The

Public Streets And Liquid Dye Stuffs,  With Every Description Of Filth Is

Thrown By The Hindoos On Each Other,  And Should Any Unfortunate Hindoo

Woman Show Herself In The Street On These Occasions,  She Is Assaulted

With Language Of The Most Obscene And Disgusting Nature. These Festivals

Have Of Late Years Been Curtailed By The Government,  And Now Seldom Last

More Than Two Days--That Is,  In Large Cities Containing European

Communities--But In Native Towns It Is Still Of Many Days Duration.

 

Accounts Of These And Other Native Ceremonies,  Together With The Horrors

Of The Black Hole,  Experienced By Europeans,  Nearly One Hundred Years

Since At The Suggestion Of The Native Princes,  Had Been Related To Edith

By Her Moonshee Ayah,  But Their Dominion,  Or Power For Good Or Evil,  Has

Now Passed Away,  And Calcutta Of The Present Day Is One Of The

Pleasantest And Finest Cities To The European To Be Found Throughout Our

Indian Possessions.

 

And Were It Not For The Great Change In Her Position,  From Absolute

Affluence To Becoming The Recipient Of Another'S Bounty,  Edith Would

Have Been,  If Not Quite Happy,  At Least Contented. Yet It Must Not Be

Imagined That She Was Ungrateful Or The Less Thankful To Her Kind

Protectors,  The Bartons,  For She Could Now Well Realize What Might Have

Been Her Situation Had She Been Compelled To Act Upon The Plan That Had

First Suggested Itself To Her On Leaving Vellenaux--That Of Becoming A

Governess Or Companion To Some Antiquated Dowager In europe.

 

The Repeated Assurances From Mrs. Barton That She Would,  At No Distant

Period,  Secure A Brilliant Alliance,  Fell Coldly On Her Ear,  But She

Made No Ostentative Demonstration Of Her Own Ideas On The Subject,  But

With A Gentle And Quiet Dignity,  Repelled The Advances Of Certain

Aspirants For Her Hand,  Who Were Continually To Be Found In Her Train

Whenever She Appeared Abroad. She Had A Smile For All And A Fascinating

And Bewitching Manner Which Was Equally Bestowed Among Her Would-Be

Admirers. But Beyond This All Was Calm And Cold. Her Heart Had

Imperceptibly Slipped From Her,  And Was Now In The Care Of Another,  Nor

Would She Wish It Were Otherwise. The Future Was Before Her And She Was

Willing To Wait.

 

Let It Not Be Imagined That Arthur Carlton Was A Lukewarm Lover,  Coldly

Prudential,  Or Thinking It Would Be Time Enough To Marry When He Should

Have Obtained His Captaincy,  And Careless As To What Trying Position

Edith Might Be Placed In,  Surrounded,  As He Knew Her To Be,  By Those Who

Would Willingly Wed Her At Any Moment. Far From It. He Loved Her Too

Well To Ask Her To Share At Present The Inconveniences Incident To A

Camp Life,  As Experienced By The Wives Of Subalterns,  Not That He

Doubted She Would Yield Up Without A Single Regret The Gay Society And

Splendid Establishment Of Mrs. Barton,  And Contentedly Share With Him

His Home,  Be It Ever So Humble. But The Thought Of Her Having To Make

Any Such Sacrifice Was To Him One That Could Not Be Entertained For A

Moment. He Believed He Knew Her Sufficiently Well To Trust Implicitly In

Her Constancy,  And Await The Happy Time When He Could In all Honour

Formally Propose For Her Hand.

 

About A Twelvemonth Prior To The Outbreak Of The Great Sepoy Mutiny,  It

Pleased The Authorities To Change The Scene Of Mr. Barton'S Labors From

Chowringee,  That Belgravia Of Calcutta,  To Goolampore,  A Military

Station Of Some Importance In The Northwest Provinces,  Or More Properly

Speaking In The Goozeratte Country. This Act Of The Government,  Although

Particularly Objectionable To Mrs. Barton,  Was Exactly What Her Lord And

Master Desired. His Term Of Service Would Shortly Come To A Close,  And

Therefore,  In His Opinion,  It Became Expedient,  Not Only To Retrench His

Expenses,  Which He Could Not Do At The Gay Capitol,  But Likewise Gather

In A Few More Of The Loaves And Fishes Of Office,  Which Were Said To Be

Found In Greater Abundance At A Distance From The Seat Of Government,

Besides Mr. Barton Was In The Decline Of Life,  And Felt That The Harness

Of Office Life Did Not Fit So Easily Upon Him While Under The Immediate

Supervision Of The Suddur Aydowlett,  As It Would Do When Removed From

Its Immediate Influence. However,  Be This As It May,  He Was Quite

Content With The Change,  Nor Was He The Only One To Whom This Change Was

A Sort Of Relief. The City Of Palaces And Its Surroundings Had Become

Distasteful To Edith; Not That She Disliked The Capitol Or The Pleasures

To Be Found There; But She Felt Wearied And Annoyed By The Attentions

That Were Showered Upon Her By The Numerous Suitors Who Thronged Around

Her,  Using All The Powers Of Persuasion They Had At Command,  To Induce

Her To Listen To Their Respective Suits. The Parchment Visaged Nabob,

With His Sacks Of Rupees,  The Wealthy Planter,  Whose Fortune Had Been

Wrung From Either Opium Or Indigo,  Perhaps Both,  The Rich Civil Servant

And Field Officer,  With Numerous Others,  All Jostling And Hedging Each

Other In The Race For The Hand Of The Beautiful Miss Effingham; But The

Prize Was Not For Them. She Cared Not A Jot For Either Their Persons Or

Their Purses And Would Not Consent To Be Caught,  And Like A Bird In a

Golden Cage,  Flutter Without The Means Of Escape.

 

But There Was One For Whom She Did Care,  One Whose Image Was Indelibly

Stamped On Her Heart,