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

Placed On The Table,  And Taking Up Another,  Said:

 

"Will You Now Tell Me All That You Know Concerning,  Your Grandfather?"

 

"He Was Called Eustace Vere Carleton,  I Believe,  From The Fact Of His

Signing Himself So In His Letters To My Father,  Wherein He Desired That

He Should Enter The British Service,  And Said That He Should Provide His

Commission And Make Him A Small Yearly Allowance As Long As He Remained

In The Service,--These Two Letters Are Now In My Possession And At Your

Service,  Should You Require Them," So Saying,  Carlton Took From His Desk

The Papers In Question,  Which He Handed To The Lawyer. "But,  Pray,  Sir,

In What Way And To What Extent Am I To Be Benefitted By The Early

Proceedings Of My Paternal Relatives?" Enquired The Dragoon,  Darting At

The Same Time A Knowing Wink At The Surgeon,  Who At That Moment Happened

To Look Up,  For Until Then He Had Appeared To Be Deeply Absorbed With A

Late Number Of _Punch_,  Though In Truth He Was Very Much Interested In,

And Had Not Lost A Word Of The Conversation That Had Been Going On

Between The Lawyer And His Friend Carlton,  But He Only Shook His Head In

Acknowledgment Of The Friendly Wink,  And Continued To Turn Over The

Pages Of That Comical But Highly Interesting Periodical Which He Had

Taken Up At The Commencement Of The Interview.

 

"Every Lost Link In The Chain Of Evidence Is,  I Believe,  Now Complete,"

Replied Mr. Capias,  "And I Am At Liberty To Communicate To You The

Following Circumstance Which,  Doubtless,  Up To The Present Time You Have

Been A Stranger To." He Hereupon Cleared His Throat,  And In a Well

Modulated Voice Said:

 

"Maud Chumly,  Your Great Grandmother,  The Daughter Of A Church Of

England Clergyman,  At The Age Of Eighteen Married Arthur Eustace

Carlton,  Ninth Earl Of Castlemere. The Result Of Their Union Was A Son,

A Wild,  Harum Scarum Sort Of A Youth Who,  At The Age Of Nineteen,  Was

Provided With An Appointment And Sent Out To The British Embassy At The

Court Of Spain. While Here He Managed To Get Entangled And Elope With

The Wife Of A Castillian Hidalgo; They Were Pursued And Overtaken By The

Enraged Grandee And His Followers; The Lady Was Recovered,  But The

Husband Lost His Life In a Duel With The Gay Lothario Who,  Subsequently,

To Avoid The Vengeance Of The Family And The Strong Arm Of The Law,  Fled

To Mexico,  Where,  A Few Years After,  He Married The Daughter Of A French

Officer Of High Rank,  By Whom He Also Had An Only Son,  But Never

Returned To England,  Nor Did He,  On The Death Of His Father,  Assume The

Title Or Take Possession Of The Estate,  But Resided Continually On The

Continent; Nor Did He By Word Or Deed Reveal To His Beautiful Wife Or

Child His Real Position In The Peerage Of Great Britain. His Son At An

Early Age Was Sent To England,  And Was Educated Principally At Rugby,

But He Also Graduated At Cambridge; He Afterwards Entered The English

Army,  And During His Stay In India Married The Daughter Of A Judge Of

One Of The Native Courts,  And Like His Father And Grandfather Before

Him,  Had But One Son,  His Wife Having Died During Her Passage To

England. The Bereaved Officer Served,  Subsequently,  With Great

Distinction,  Through The Peninsular Campaign,  Became Colonel Of His

Regiment,  And At The Close Of The War Was Placed On Half Pay,  And At The

Age Of Fifty-Six,  Died At Exeter,  In devonshire; This Only Son,  Arthur

Carlton,  Likewise Entered The Army And Became A Captain Of Light

Dragoons,  And Is Now Beyond The Possibility Of A Doubt,  The Rightful And

Lawful Heir To The Late Earl Of Castlemere." Here Mr. Capias Bowed Most

Deferentially,  Gathered His Papers Together,  Said That He Trusted In a

Few Days To Have The Honour Of Another Interview With His Lordship,  And

Then Vanished From The Room.

 

"The Fairy Godmother,  In The Garb Of A Limb Of The Law,  By All That'S

Wonderful," Burst Forth Draycott,  Who Was The First To Speak After The

Visitor Had Departed.

 

"The Next Lady Presented To Her Majesty,  By Her Grace The Duchess Of

Opals,  Was The Lovely And Accomplished Edith,  Countess Of Castlemere,  On

Her Marriage With The Noble Earl Of That Name." "By Jove! It Sounds

Well," Exclaimed Arthur,  Starting Out Of A Reverie Into Which He Had

Fallen,  And Springing To His Feet. "Draycott" Continued He,  "Am I Awake?

Can It Be All True What The Little Man In black Has Been Telling Us?"

And Carlton Paced Excitedly Up And Down The Apartment.

 

"Not A Doubt Of It,  My Lord," Resumed Draycott "These Musty Old Lawyers

Never Commit Themselves By Letting Out So Much As This One Has Done,

Unless They Are Quite Sure That Everything Is All Safe,  Cut And Dried

And Ready For Use,  As The Saying Is,  And I Think Your Lordship Cannot

Refuse To Join Me In drinking The Health Of The Future Countess Of

Castlemere;" And,  Suiting The Action To The Word,  Filled Out Two Bumpers

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