Vellenaux A Novel, Edmund William Edmund William [reading a book .TXT] 📗
- Author: Edmund William Edmund William
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This Favored One Was Arthur Carlton, Lieut. H.M. Light Dragoons--The
Playmate Of Her Childhood, And Companion Of Her Riper Years In The
Golden Days At Vellenaux, In dear Old England.
"It Is Absurd In The Directors, Or Whoever Has To Do With It, To Send
Horace Off To The Northwest, Just At The Commencement Of The Season Too;
Besides, We Shall Scarcely Be Settled Before We Shall Have To Return To
England. I Declare We Are Being Treated Shamefully," Said Mrs. Barton,
As She Stepped From The Chuppaul Ghat To The Budgerow That Was To Convey
Them To The Steamer, In Which A Passage Had Been Provided By The
Government For Them, To The Nearest Port On The Coast Of Goozeratte, _En
Route_ For Goolampore, "And To Think," Again Resumed The Little Lady To
Edith, As They Sat Together In The Handsomely Furnished Cabin, "That
Your Brilliant Prospects Will Be Destroyed; For Who Is There In The
Interior That Will Compensate For The Loss Of Those Eligible Suitors For
Your Hand?" Edith Disclaimed Against Brilliant Alliances Or The Admirers
Referred To.
"It Is All Very Fine, My Dear, For You To Say So; But Depend Upon It,
For A Young Lady In Your Position And Circumstances, There Is Nothing
Equal To A Wealthy Husband, And An Establishment Of Your Own. But What I
Shall Do Without You I Really Do Not Know; But I Expect It Must Come To
That Some Day Or Other." Here The Good Lady Sank Back Among Her
Cushions, And Resigned Herself To Her Fate, Her Ayah, And Her Last New
Novel.
For Several Months All Went Pleasantly Enough With The Bartons, Much
More So, Indeed Than Had Been Anticipated By Her Little Ladyship; For
She Found That As Wife Of The Judge, The Highest Civil Functionary In
The Station, She Was Leader Of Fashion, And Took Precedence Of All Other
Ladies In Goolampore; And Edith, For A Time, Found Herself Relieved From
The Importunities That Beset Her At Calcutta. Not That She Lacked
Admirers, But Certainly At Present Their Attentions Were Not
Sufficiently Marked To Give Her Any Annoyance.
The Worthy Judge Was Retrenching. His Expenses Were Scarcely One Fourth
Of What They Had Been At The Presidency. He Had Attained His Object, And
All Things For The Time Being _Couleur De Rose_.
"Come Here Pretty One," Said He As He Noticed Edith Dismounting, After
Her Usual Ride Around The Race Course And Band Stand, One Beautiful
Evening. "Listen! Here Is Something In The Papers That Will Greatly
Interest You, Or I Am Much Mistaken." Edith Was Soon At His Side, All
Attention, When The Gentleman Proceeded To Read As Follows:--"Extract
From General Orders. His Excellency The Commander In chief Has Been
Pleased To Appoint Lieutenant Arthur Carlton, H.M. Light Dragoons, To
Act As A.D.C. On The Staff Of General D----, At Goolampore. That Officer
Will Proceed And Assume His Duties At That Station Forthwith." Edith
Could Not Conceal Her Joy At This Unexpected Event, And Retired To Her
Chamber In a Flutter Of Agitation, But Happier In Heart Than She Had
Been For Many Months Past.
It Was The Anniversary Of Her Majesty'S Birthday, And, As Was Customary
At All Military Stations, It Was Celebrated By A Military Display In The
Morning, Theatricals, And A Supper And Ball At Night. The Assembly
Rooms, As They Were Called At Goolampore, Were Built By Government. It
Was A Building Of Considerable Length, Divided Into Three Rooms, Eighty
Feet Long, By Forty Feet Wide. The End One Was Fitted Up In Very
Handsome Style As A Theatre, The Other Two Communicating With It By
Means Of Enormous Folding Doors, And Were Used On Ordinary Occasions By
The Military Department For Holding Courts Martial, Courts Of Enquiry,
Committees, &C. The Other Was At The Disposal Of The Political Agents Or
Chief Magistrate To Transact Such Business As They Might Deem Necessary.
But On Such Occasions As The Present, Or Others Of A Similar Character,
The Whole Three Were Brilliantly Illuminated And Thrown Open For The
Amusement Of The _Elite_ Of The Station.
"I Say Hopkins, As You Know Everything And Everybody, Tell Me, Who Is
That Young Fellow In Staff Uniform, Dancing With Miss Effingham?"
Enquired A Colonel Of The N.I.
"That Is Young Carlton Of The Dragoons, The New A.D.C. He Only Arrived
This Morning. Capital Fellow I Am Told; A Tip Top Sportsman; Goes In
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
Reports Began To Arise Of The Disloyalty And Insubordination Of Some Of
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.
Goolampore 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
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