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

Tall,  Slight,  But Decidedly Handsome Youth,  Between Eighteen And

Nineteen Years Of Age,  Wearing The Collegiate Cap And Gown,  Was Pacing

Somewhat Impatiently Up And Down The Quadrangle Of St. John'S College,

Evidently Expecting The Approach Of Some Person Whom He Was Most

Desirous Of Seeing. This Was Arthur Carlton,  The Protege Of Sir Jasper

Coleman. He Was An Orphan,  Having Lost Both Parents 'Ere He Knew Them.

His Father Had Been A Peninsular Officer And Companion-In-Arms Of The

Baronet,  Who,  On The Death Of His Friend,  Undertook To See To The

Education And Future Welfare Of The Little Arthur. On Losing His Mother

He Had Been Removed Under The Care Of His Nurse To Vellenaux,  Where He

Had Been Only A Few Months,  When The Little Edith Made Her Appearance On

The Scene Of Action,  And Being Nearly Of An Age They Soon Became Good

Friends And Fond Of The Society Of Each Other,  Because Of Mutual

Assistance While Pursuing Their Studies Together,  Which They Continued

To Do Until Young Carlton Was By His Kind Patron Sent To School,  Prior

To His Going To College At Oxford. Fond Of Study,  He Readily Acquired

Knowledge Which He Stored Up To Be Used Hereafter As Circumstances Might

Demand; He Was Aware Of His Real Position,  And That His Future Success

In Life Must Chiefly Depend Upon His Own Exertions.

 

His Patron In caring For Him During His Early Years,  And Giving Him The

Benefit Of A University Education,  Had,  In The Young Man'S Opinion,

Fully Carried Out The Promise Made To His Father,  On His Death Bed,

Whether On The Completion Of His Education His Benefactor Would Continue

To Assist Him By Using His Interest To Procure Him Some Suitable

Position In Which He Could Carve Out For Himself,  A Road To Name And

Fame,  He Knew Not,  But Nevertheless He Felt A Deep Sense Of Gratitude

For What Had Already Been Done For Him,  By His Father'S Old Friend. He

Was Becoming Restless When The Friend Expected Advanced At A Smart Pace

To Meet Him,  And Proved To Be Tom Barton,  The Youngest Son Of The

Bartons Of The Willows,  A Worthy Old Couple Who Resided On Their Own

Property,  The So Called Willows Which Joined The Estate Of Sir Jasper

Coleman. In This Family Besides Daughters There Were Two Sons,  The

Eldest Horace Barton Had Graduated At St. John'S,  And Subsequently Had

Obtained An Appointment In The Civil Service Of The East India Company,

And Had Gone Out To Calcutta,  Where He Had Now Been For Several Years.

Tom,  Like His Brother,  Had Been Educated At Oxford,  And Was Now About

Leaving College To Return To His Home For A Few Weeks,  Prior To His

Leaving For London,  To Pursue The Profession He Had Chosen,  That Of The

Law.

 

"Carlton,  My Dear Fellow,  You Must Really Excuse Me For Thus Keeping You

Waiting; I Assure You I Could Not Get Away A Moment Sooner. You Can

Easily Imagine The Sort Of Thing,  Leaving The Companionship Of Those

Whom For Years You Have Been Associated With In Many A Frolic Or

Academical Scrape; But To The Point; In What Way Can I Serve You?"

 

Carlton Drew Forth A Sealed Packet From The Pocket Of His Gown,  Which He

Handed To Him,  Saying As He Did So,  "You Will Confer On Me A Great Favor

By Calling At Vellenaux And Giving This Packet Into The Hand Of Miss

Effingham. I Would Rather She Should Receive It When Alone,  You Will

Manage This For Me,  Will You Not?"

 

"Certainly,  Most Certainly. I Perfectly Understand,  Ah You Sly Dog;

After The Pretty Heiress Are You? I Admire Your Choice,  And Would I

Think Take The Field Against You,  But For My Darling Cousin Kate,  She

Will Not Allow Me To Flirt With Any But Herself,  So I Will Do My Best

For You."

 

Arthur Thanked Him Heartily,  And After A Few More Words The Friends

Parted,  One For His Home At The Willows,  The Other For His Small Room In

The College.

 

Tom Barton Kept His Promise,  And The Packet Was Duly Handed To Edith By

Him,  He Having Met Her Walking In The Home Park The Very Day Of His

Arrival.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3

 

 

The Time For Arthur'S Leaving College Had Now Arrived. A Few Brief Lines

From Sir Jasper,  Informing Him That He Was To Leave College At The End

Of This Term For Good,  But In No Way Hinting What His Future Position

Through Life Might Be,  With A Small Note Enclosed From Edith,  Was All

That He Had Heard From Devonshire Since His Friend,  Tom Barton,  Had Left

Oxford; But It Was Evident From The Tone Of The Baronet'S Epistle That

He Expected Him To Make Vellenaux His Home,  At Least For The Present Or

Until Some Arrangements Could Be Made For His Future.

 

He Was Now Nineteen,  Nearly Six Feet In Height And Possessed An Amount

Of Strength And Muscular Power Seldom Met With At His Age. These Had

Been Developed And Matured By Boat-Racing,  Cricket And Athletic

Exercises,  In Which He Took Great Delight. He Was Likewise An Ardent

Lover Of Field Sports. From The Old Lodge Keeper,  Who Had Been A Rough

Rider In Sir Jasper'S Troop In The Light Dragoons Through The Greater

Part Of The Peninsular Campaign,  He Acquired The Knowledge Of How To Sit

The Saddle And Ride Like A Dragoon,  Likewise The Complete Management Of

His Horse; Nor Was The Sabre (The Favorite Weapon Of The Old Soldier)

Forgotten,  And Many A Clout And Bruise Did The Youth Receive Before He

Could Satisfy His Instructor As To His Efficiency. Being Of An Obliging

Disposition,  The Game Keepers Took A Great Deal Of Trouble To Make Him A

First Rate Shot,  And Their Exertions Were Not Thrown Away,  And Very

Proud They Were At The Way In Which He Brought Down His Birds.

 

Surrounded By Some Half Dozen Of His Most Intimate Acquaintances,  Young

Carlton Was Eating His Last Collegiate Breakfast,  As He Had To Leave For

Vellenaux That Morning By The 8.20 Train,  The Usual Toasts And

Congratulations Had Been Exchanged,  And Farewell Bumpers Of Champagne

Drank,  When The Porter Put His Head In at The Door And Announced In a

Sharp Short Tone,  "Times Up,  Cab At The Door." A General Rush Was Made

In The Direction Indicated,  Arthur Jumped Into The Vehicle,  And Amid The

Shouts And Cheers Of His Friends,  Was Quickly Rolled Over The Stones To

The Railway Terminus. Ding,  Dong,  Ding,  Dong,  Waugh,  Waugh,  Puff,  Puff,

And The Train Moved Slowly Out Of The Station,  Increasing Its Velocity

Until It Was Whirling Along At Something Very Like Fifty Miles An Hour.

On Reaching Switchem,  The Station Nearest To Vellenaux,  Arthur Found His

Horse Waiting For Him,  And From The Groom He Learned That Sir Jasper Was

Anxiously Expecting Him,  For He Had That Day Accompanied By Edith,  Gone

As Far As The Lodge Gate,  A Distance Much Greater Than He Had Walked For

Some Time Past. This Was Very Satisfactory For Carlton To Know,  And With

A Light Heart He Sprang Into The Saddle And Cantered Merrily Along The

High Road,  Leading To The Park Gates,  Within Which The Happiest Years Of

His Youth Had Been Spent; And The Welcome He Received From All Was Of

Such A Character As At Once To Set At Rest Any Misgivings Or

Apprehensions He Might Have Felt On This Score.

 

Sir Jasper Was Kind,  Courteous And Almost Paternal. Edith Could

Scarcely Restrain Her Delight At The Idea Of Again Having In That Social

Circle The Playfellow Of Her Childhood And One Who Had Ever Been To Her

As A Dear Brother,  A Companion And Confidant,  One From Whom She Could

Always Obtain Sympathy And Advice When Annoyed With The Petty Vexations

Of Childhoods Fleeting Day. Even Mrs. Fraudhurst,  Always Courteous And

Polite Since His Exodus From Her Scholastic Charge,  Was Now More Affable

And Condescending Than Ever To The Baronet'S _Protege_; But She Could

Afford To Be So,  For She Well Knew That He Was About To Be Swept From

Her Path,  For Years,  Perhaps Forever.

 

The Conversation During Dinner That Evening Was Animated And General;

All Parties Appeared In The Best Possible Spirits,  And Anxious To Render

Arthur'S Return From College An Event To Be Remembered Hereafter With

Feelings Of Infinite Satisfaction. Soon After The Removal Of The Cloth,

The Ladies Retired,  Leaving Our Hero And Sir Jasper Alone; The Latter

Having Finished A Glass Of Fine Old Crusted Port,  Settled Himself

Comfortably In His Easy Chair,  And Thrusting His Thumbs In The Armholes

Of His Waistcoat,  Thus Addressed His _Protege_.

 

"Arthur,  My Boy,  You Are Now,  I Think,  Of An Age That Would Warrant You

In Judging For Yourself As To What Particular Profession Or Calling You

Are Best Suited To Pursue,  In Order To Make A Successful Career Through

Life. Have You Ever Given This Subject A Thought? If So,  Now We Are

Alone,  I Should Like To Hear What Your Views Or Ideas May Be Concerning

That Matter; It Is One Of Great Importance,  And Requires Serious

Consideration."

 

Now,  Although Arthur Had Anticipated That Some Such Enquiry Would Be

Made By The Baronet,  He Was Not Quite Prepared As To The Precise Answer

It Would Be Best For Him To Make; In Fact He Was Taken A Little Aback At

The Suddenness Of The Question. He Had Expected That Some Days Would

Elapse Before Sir Jasper Would Broach The Subject,  But Being Of A

Straightforward And Truthful Nature,  He Frankly Stated What He Thought

Respecting His Future. "Of Course," He Said,  "Sir Jasper,  I Shall Be

Guided Entirely By Any Suggestions You May Kindly Offer,  For To You I

Owe Everything. The Only Path That I Believe Is Open To Me Is That Of

Law Or Medicine; (And Since You Allow Me) I Must Candidly Acknowledge To

Either Of Those Professions I Have An Antipathy; But If It Is Your Wish

That I Should Follow Either Of These,  I Can Assure You That Energy And

Perseverance Shall Not Be Wanting On My Part To Attain A Respectable

Standing In Whatever Undertaking I Embark In."

 

"Right,  Arthur,  Right; There Is Nothing Like Energy And Perseverance In

Whatever Situation,  We May Be Placed In,  And Now Listen To Me." The

Baronet Here Took Another Glass Of Port,  And Motioned To Arthur To Do

The Same; Then Continued He,  "Law And Physic Are Both Distasteful To Me,

Nor Do I Think They Are At All Suitable For You. The Church Is Almost

Out Of The Question,  As I Have No Interest In That Quarter,  And Could Be

In No Way Of Use To You. You Are Beyond The Age That Lads Generally

Enter The Navy; But What Say You To The Army?" Arthur Gave A Start At

This Proposal,  And A Beam Of Delight--Which He Could Not Conceal--Lit Up

His Handsome,  Though Somewhat Thoughtful Face.

 

"Oh,  Sir Jasper," He Exclaimed,  "It Is The Very Position I Most Prize,

But One That I Had Not Ventured To Hope Could Be Realized; It Has Been

The Day Dream Of My Youth."

 

The Kind-Hearted Old Baronet Was Evidently Much Pleased At His Young

Friend'S Reply And Enthusiasm. He Took Another Glass Of Wine,  Then Said:

"I Promised Your Father To Give You A Fair Start In Life,  And I Will

Keep My Word. I Have Already Applied To The Horse Guards On Your Behalf,

And Have The Refusal Of A Cornetcy In The Light Dragoons. There,  There,

Say Nothing; I See You Accept It,  So That Part Of The Business Is

Settled So Far; But The Regiment Is Now In India,  And Likely To Remain

There For Some Years. Have You Any Objections To Leaving England? If So,

You Are At Liberty To Withdraw Your Consent."

 

"There Is No Part Of The World That I Have So Great A Desire To Visit As

British India. I Have Both Heard And Read A Great Deal Of That

Extraordinary Country. Besides,  Is It Not The Land Of My Birth?" Was

Arthur'S Immediate Reply.

 

"Then Consider The Matter Settled. You Will Not Be Required To Join Your

Regiment Until Six Months