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

Chapter 4

 

Great Was The Excitement And Preparation Going On Among Those Invited To

Participate In The Coming Festivities. Of All The Places In The County,

Vellenaux Was Considered The Most Suitable For The Purpose Of A Fancy

Dress Ball. There Had Not Been Anything Of The Kind Within A Circuit Of

Fifty Miles,  For At Least As Many Years. The Grand Old Hall,  With Its

Banners And Knightly Armour Of Different Periods,  The Magnificent

Apartments Filled With Curiously Carved Antique Furniture,  Ancient

Mirrors And Embroidered Tapestries,  All Of Which Would Harmonize With

The Costumes Of Those Who Would Figure About For The _Nonce_. Of Course

The Characters To Be Assumed Were To Be Kept A Secret Until They

Appeared In The Ball Room. Edith Entered With Enthusiasm Into All The

Arrangements Necessary On The Occasion,  And Was Materially Assisted By

The Good Taste And Judgment Of Arthur,  To Whom She Turned For Counsel

When At Fault As To The Grouping Of Statuary Or Position Of Pictures,

And The _Toute Ensemble_ Of The _Salle-A-Manger_.

 

The Spacious Old Picture Gallery With Its Gothic Windows Of Stained

Glass Was Fitted Up As The Dancing Hall. The Statuary Armour,  Banners,

And Ancient Weapons Of Past Generations Had Been Brought From The Hall

And Placed In different Positions Along The Oak Pannelled Walls,  While

Large Bunches Of Dark Green Holly With The Bright Scarlet Berries,

Peeping Out Here And There Was Hung Between The Antique Pictures Of

Brave Knights And Fair Dames,  Ancestors Of The Coleman Family,  That

Seemed To Look Down From Their Massive Frames Upon The Fantastic Scenes

Below. The Oaken Floor Was Covered With A Cloth,  Figured To Represent A

Tesselated Pavement. At The Upper End A Dais Had Been Erected,

Surmounted By An Antique Chair Of State,  With Several Others Of The Same

Description,  But Smaller On Each Side. The Orchestra Was In a Small

Gallery That Crossed The Hall At The Lower End,  The Whole Brilliantly

Illuminated By Three Massive Chandeliers,  The Adjoining Apartments Were

Arranged As Refreshment And Supper Rooms.

 

The Ball Was Opened With A Triple Set Of Quadrilles. The Top Set,

Nearest To The Dais Or Place Of Honour,  Was Composed As Follows: Sir

Jasper As The Fine Old English Gentleman In doublet And Trunk Hose,  With

Edith,  Looking Very Lovely,  As The Lady Rowena; Their _Vis A Vis_ Being

Julia Barton,  In The Character Of Mary Stuart,  Attended By Arthur,

Dressed As A Light Dragoon Of The Period. The Side Couples Were,  Kate

Cotterell,  Bewitchingly Pretty,  In The Costume Of Rebecca The Jewess,

Assisted By Tom Barton As The Famous Robin Hood. Emily Barton

Represented,  With Very Good Effect,  Maid Marion,  Under The Escort Of

Young Snaffle Of The Lancers,  Who Rode Over From The Nearest Garrison

Town To Captivate Some Stray Heart By Personating Young Lochinvar. The

Other Two Sets,  Figuring In costumes As Handsome As They Were Varied,

Were Made Up Of The Youth And Beauty Of The Neighbourhood,  With The

Exception Of The Bottom Couple Of The Last Set; Here,  Mrs. Fraudhurst

Appeared,  Gorgeously Attired,  As Sarah,  Duchess Of Marlborough,  With No

Other For Her Partner Than Ralph Coleman In The Garb Of Mephistopheles.

At The Conclusion Of The First Quadrille,  The Baronet Seated Himself In

The State Chair,  With His Old Friends On Either Side,  For Their Dancing

Days Like His Own Was Now As A Thing Of The Past,  But Looking On With

Inward Satisfaction At The Gay Assembly,  Until The Memories Of Their Own

Youthful Days Rose Pleasantly Before Them,  The Rare Old Wines Of The

Choicest Vintage,  From The Well-Stored Cellars Of Vellenaux Aiding To

Keep Up These Associations,  As Waltzes,  Polkas,  Mazourkas,  Followed In

Rapid Succession. Nor Was The Supper The Least Agreeable Feature Of The

Entertainment,  For Country Life,  And Country Exercise,  Equestrian And

Pedestrian,  Over The Frozen Earth,  Were Wonderful Auxiliaries To The

Appetite,  And Both Old And Young Did Ample Justice To The Good Things

That Were Provided For Them.

 

The Duchess And Mephistopheles Kept Watchful Eye On Edith And Arthur,

But Their Joyous Light-Heartedness,  And That,  Too,  On The Eve Of His

Departure,  Convinced The Two Conspirators That All Was Going On As

Satisfactorily As They Could Desire. After Supper,  Sir Roger De Coverly,

The Triumph,  And Other Old-Fashioned Country Dances Were Introduced,

Followed By Questions,  Answers And Forfeits,  And Other Twelfth-Night

Games,  Which Were Entered Into With Such Spirit And Animation,  That

Showed How Thoroughly They Were Enjoyed By Those Who Participated

Therein,  And It Was Universally Allowed By All Present To Be The Most

Charming Thing Of The Kind They Had Ever Attended,  And The Grey Dawn Of

Day Appeared On The Eastern Horizon Ere The Last Vehicle Drove Away From

The Hospitable Mansion Of Sir Jasper Coleman.

 

On The Afternoon Of The Following Day,  Arthur Was To Leave Vellenaux

For Southampton En Route For The East. He Had Put Off His Leave Takings

Until The Last Moment,  And He Now Entered His Patron'S Private Library

To Say Farewell. The Parting Was More Like What Might Have Been Expected

Between A Kind Father And A Favourite Son. "Remember,  Arthur," Said The

Kind Old Baronet,  In conclusion,  "That,  Should Your Regiment Be Suddenly

Ordered Home,  It Will Always Afford Me The Greatest Pleasure To Receive

You Here Whenever The Duties Of Your Position Will Admit Of Your

Visiting Us." Here He Shook Him Cordially By The Hand,  Placing As He Did

So,  A Draft On A Calcutta House For Three Thousand Rupees.

 

Hastily Ascending The Grand Staircase,  Carlton Made His Way To The

Drawing Room. His Adieu To Mrs. Fraudhurst Was Courteous And Polite,  But

There Was No Exhibition Of Kindly Feeling Or Sympathy Evinced By Either.

 

Now,  Although Arthur And Edith In Their Long Rides Together Had

Canvassed Over The Subject Of His Departure Repeatedly,  And The Great

Benefit He Was Likely To Derive Therefrom Till They Had Quite Accustomed

Themselves To The Idea,  Yet,  When The Moment Arrived,  A Deep Feeling Of

Regret Visibly Agitated Them Both,  A Feeling Which They Had Never Before

Experienced,  And Which There Was Now No Time To Analyze. The Unbidden

Tear Rose To Edith'S Eye As He Clasped Her Hand Within His Own,  And

Unable To Control Himself Any Longer,  He Gently Drew Her Towards Him And

Imprinted A Loving Kiss On Her Rosy Lips. The Next Instant He Was Gone.

No Word Of Love Had Ever Been Spoken Between Them,  And This Was The

First Time That Their Lips Had Ever Met. At That Moment Mrs. Fraudhurst

Had Looked Up From Her Embroidery,  But Not In Their Direction; She Was

Too Discreet For That,  Her Glance Rested On One Of The Large Mirrors At

The Opposite End Of The Room,  Wherein Was Reflected The Full Length

Figures Of The Two Young Friends. The Salute Did Not Escape Her Notice,

Nor Did She Fail To Mark That The Deep Crimson Blush That Diffused

Itself Over Edith'S Beautiful Features Certainly Was Not One Of

Displeasure.

 

"Gone,  But Not A Moment Too Soon," She Muttered Half Aloud. Then Turning

To Address A Few Words To Edith Found That She Also Had Left The

Apartment; Gone,  Doubtless,  To Seek The Privacy Of Her Own Chamber.

 

On Reaching Calcutta,  The Young Cornet Presented Himself At The

Hospitable Bungalow Of The Bartons,  And Was By Them Cordially Received.

The Pretty Little Mrs. Barton And Arthur Had Not Previously Met,  He

Being At College When She Had Paid Her Wedding Visit To Devonshire,  But

Nevertheless,  She Was Much Pleased To Have So Handsome A Cavalier,  To

Occupy A Seat In Her Barouche While Driving Along The Chowringee Road Or

Cantering By Her Side Across The Esplanade Or Round And Round The Stand

While Listening To The Delightful Music Of The Band,  As Was Their Usual

Custom Of An Evening.

 

Good,  Easy Horace Barton Had Got Over That Sort Of Thing,  For After

Returning From The Suddur Aydowlett,  He Would Seek The Quiet Of His

Sanctum Sanctorum,  And With His Hooka And Iced Sherbet,  Would Regale

Himself Until The Dressing Bell Rang For Dinner,  After Which He Would

Entertain Arthur With Stories Of The Pindaree War,  The Suppression Of

Thuygee,  And Relate Wonderful Feats Of Looting,  Perpetrated By The Most

Expert Robbers In The World,  The Bheel Tribes.

 

"But,  My Friend," Said Horace,  On One Of These Occasions,  "The Greatest

Drawback To A Young Soldier'S Advancement In This Country,  Is The Great

Facility That Is Afforded Him For Getting Into Debt; And Should You

Unfortunately Fall Into The Difficulty,  I Strongly Advise You To Draw On

Your Paymaster,  Go Under Stoppages Or Apply To A Friend,  But Not Under

Any Circumstances Have Recourse To Those Scourges Of The Country,  The

Native Sheroffs Or Money-Lenders,  And In Order To Fix Your Attention To

This Matter,  I Will Relate A Circumstance That Occurred To A Friend Of

Mine Some Years Ago,  Which Will,  I Think,  Prove To You The Danger Of

Having Anything To Do With Those Gentry,  As You Might Not Escape Their

Clutches As My Friend Ingeniously Did.

 

"There Was No Denying That Harry Esdale Was The Handsomest,  Gayest And

Most Popular Man In The Station,  And Was Generally To Be Found Taking

The Lead In any Thing That Promised Fun And Frolic. In Fact,  No Ball,

Party,  Picnic,  Cricket-Match,  Race Or Private Theatricals Were

Considered Complete Without Him. Having Little Else To Depend Upon

Besides His Pay,  No Wander That His Pecuniary Affairs Became Embarrassed

And Were To Him A Source Of Great Annoyance And Trouble. To Extricate

Himself For The Time Being From This Unpleasant Dilemma,  He Had Recourse

To The Native Sheroffs,  From Whom He Had Borrowed From Time To Time

Certain Sums Of Different Amounts At An Enormous Rate Of Interest,  Until

At Last He Found That He Was Totally Unable To Free Himself From His

Difficulties,  Or Evade His Creditors,  Who Haunted Him Night And Day,

Dogged His Steps,  And Presented Themselves Most Inopportunely When They

Were Least Expected Or Desired.

 

"He Had Procured A Furlough To Europe,  Which Alone Would Relieve Him

From His Tormentors,  But Alas,  He Was Too Well Watched To Admit Of His

Leaving The Presidency. Affairs Were In This Unpleasant State When A

Circumstance Occurred,  Which He Very Adroitly Took Advantage Of,  In

Order To Elude The Vigilance Of His Native Persecutors.

 

"It So Happened That In His Troop There Was A Man That Bore A Striking

Resemblance To Him In Height And Figure,  As Well As In Feature. Just At

This Particular Juncture,  And When His Creditors Were Most Clamorous For

Settlement,  This Man Died In The Regimental Hospital. On This

Circumstance Coming To His Knowledge,  It Struck Him That He Might Turn

It To His Own Advantage,  Could He But Obtain The Co-Operation Of The

Surgeon And One Or Two Of His Brother Officers. This He Soon Effected,

So Great A Favourite As He Was Could Not Be Refused,  Besides,  Was It Not

A Glorious Thing To Outwit Those Native Dealers In extortion?

 

"The Body Of The Late Trooper Was Secretly Removed From The Hospital To

Esdale'S Bungalow,  Dressed In His Full Uniform And Laid On The Bed; A

Pistol Was Then Discharged Into The Mouth Of The Corpse,  And The Head

And Pillow Besmeared With Blood,  Disfiguring The Face Considerably; The

Pistol Was Then Placed On The Bed,  Close To The Right Hand,  And There

Was All The Appearance That Death Had Been Caused By Suicide.

 

"Fortunately There Was A Ball At Government House That Evening; This

Accounted For His Being In Full Dress. His Absence Was Noticed By Many,

And Later In The Evening The Startling Intelligence Was Announced That

Captain Esdale,  Had Destroyed Himself By Blowing Out His Brains While

Laboring Under A Fit Of Temporary Insanity. This Report Spread Like

Wildfire Throughout The Native Town And Soon Reached The Ears Of His

Creditors,  Who Flocked To The Bungalow Like So Many Vultures,  Fighting

And Scrabbling With Each Other For Admission,  In Order That They Might

Secure For Themselves Whatever Effects Might Be In The Bungalow,  But

Were Informed By The Guard Which Had Been Placed There That Nothing

Could Be Touched Until After The Funeral,  Which Took Place In a Few Days

With All The Pomp And Ceremony Necessary On Such Occasions.

 

"All This Time Esdale Was Snugly Stowed Away In