Vellenaux A Novel, Edmund William Forrest [read with me TXT] 📗

Chapter 6 Pg 36

Smiling Spring,  With Her Ever-Changing Episode Of Sunshine And Tears,

Had Twice Come And Gone. The Gorgeous Fields Of Golden Grain Had For A

Second Time Bent Their Heads Beneath The Harvest Side,  And The Autumnal

Tints Of Every Hue And Shade Had Again Fallen On The Rich Foliage Of The

Magnificent Old Woods Of Devon,  While The Whirr Of The Pheasant In The

Preserves,  And The Popping At The Partridges Among The Turnips,

Indicated That The Shooting Season Had Once More Commenced Over The

Broad Lands Around Vellenaux.

 

Things Wore Much The Same Aspect As They Had Done On Arthur's Return

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From College And Prior To His Departure For The Sunny Plains Of

Hindostan Some Eighteen Months Since. Sir Jasper Was Apparently Hale And

Hearty. Edith Had Finished Her Education,  On Which Her Uncle Had Spared

No Expense,  For Masters And Professors Had Been Procured From London To

Superintend Her Studies. She Was Perfectly Happy,  Occasionally Receiving

Letters From Arthur,  Which Always Afforded Her Much Pleasure To Peruse

And Think Over,  And Frequently Would She Detect Herself Gazing Upon His

Photograph In The Pretty Little Locket He Had Sent Her From Oxford By

Tom Barton,  And Which,  Since His Departure,  She Constantly Wore.

 

Ralph Coleman's Visits Had Become More Frequent Of Late; This At First

Did Not Attract Edith's Notice. She Had Never Been Prepossessed In His

Favour,  But As Her Uncle's Kinsman,  And Being Heir To The Baronetcy,  Her

Deportment To Him Had Ever Been Polite And Affable,  But Subsequently His

Attentions Became So Marked That They Aroused Her To A Sense Of His Real

Meaning. Yet She Could Scarcely Bring Herself To Believe That Such Was

Really The Case,  And But For The Delicate Hints And Inuendos That

Occasionally Fell From The Double Dealing Widow,  She Would,  There Is No

Doubt,  Have Remained For A Much Longer Time Unconvinced Of His

Intentions Towards Her. However,  Time Was Passing On And Ralph Made Up

His Mind To Bring Matters To The Point. One Lovely Afternoon,  As He Was

Entering The Conservatory,  He Espied The Fluttering Of A Woman's Dress

Among The Shrubs And Flowers,  And On Coming Nearer,  Though Still At Some

Little Distance,  Perceived A Lady Walking Slowly And As If In Deep

Thought. Feeling Quite Certain That It Was No Other Than The One He Was

In Quest Of,  And Thanking The Fates For Giving Him The Long Wished For

Opportunity,  He Advanced More Quickly And Was Soon Beside Edith (For She

It Proved To Be) Before She Was Aware That Any One Was Near. Turning,

With Something Of A Surprised Look On Her Lovely Face,  She Exclaimed,

"Oh,  How You Startled Me. I Thought You Were On The Way To London. I Am

Quite Amazed To Find You Here."

 

"I Hope My Presence Is Not Distasteful To You," He Said,  Gently,  At The

Same Time Lifting His Hat And Bowing Low Before Her. He Really Cared

Nothing For The Beautiful Girl At His Side,  For He Was Thoroughly

Selfish; Nor Did He Care By What Means Or How Low He Had To Stoop To

Gain Possession Of The Object Wished For.

 

Edith,  Knowing Her Own Feelings,  And Not Wishing To Say Aught To Hurt

Or Offend Him More Than Was Actually Necessary,  Scarcely Knew How To

Answer Him,  Disliking Him As She Did. Still She Had Nothing To Complain

Of,  For He Had Ever Paid Her The Most Marked Respect. Before She Could

Frame Her Answer He Spoke Again,  "Edith,  I Have For Some Time Been

Wishing To Speak To You On A Subject Very Near My Heart. I Love You

Dearly And Have Long Done So,  Will You Be My Wife,  Or,  At Least,  Give Me

Some Hope That My Suit May Be Acceptable At Some Future Time? Only Give

Me One Encouraging Smile,  One Ray Of Hope,  And I Will Drudge On

Patiently Until You Bid Me Come To You."

 

"Oh No," Edith Replied,  "You Must Not Wait,  You Must Not Hope,  I Can

Never Be Yours. Go,  Leave Me." Before She Had Well Finished,  Ralph

Coleman Had Seized Her Little White Hands In His Strong Grasp,  And Said

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In A Deep,  Hoarse Voice,  "Edith,  I Ask You Again Will You Be Mine?"

 

Surprise,  Astonishment,  And A Feeling Very Like Indignation Took

Possession Of Edith.

 

"Mr. Ralph Coleman," She Said,  "Before I Answer Any More Questions,

Release My Hands." As He Did So She Raised Her Head Proudly,  And Turning

Towards Him With A Heightened Color,  Said,  "I Have Already Told You That

I Cannot Love You,  And Am Surprised That It Is Not Sufficient. I Thank

You For The Honor You Intended,  But Beg That You Will Never Mention This

Subject To Me Again."

 

As These Words Fell Upon His Ear,  Ralph Coleman's Face Changed And

Darkened Visibly,  An Evil Light Came Into His Eyes,  And An Ugly Frown

Contracted His Brow,  Then,  With A Smile,  Whose Meaning Could Not Be

Mistaken,  He Said:

 

"Take Care,  Proud Girl,  I Have Sworn That You Shall Be Mine,  And By The

Heavens Above Us,  I Intend To Keep My Vow,  And Neither Man Nor Devil

Shall Turn Me From My Purpose!"

 

Edith's Eyes Flashed,  Her Beautiful Lips Curled In Scorn,  And Her Whole

Face Beamed With Intense Disgust,  And With A Voice Low And Deep She

Said,

 

"Have A Care,  Sir,  Beware How You Threaten The Niece Of Sir Jasper

Coleman. Before To-Morrow My Uncle Shall Be Made Acquainted With What

Has Just Passed,  And The Character Of The Man Who Has Partaken So Often

Of His Hospitality,  And Been Ever Treated With Kind Attention,  He Has

Yet To Learn How These Courtesies Have Been Returned," And Sweeping Past

Him With A Look Of Supreme Contempt,  Edith Was About To Pass On.

 

It Was Evident That He Had Gone Too Far And That She Was Not A Girl To

Be Intimidated By Anything That He Might Say,  And At Once Changed His

Tactics--For He Was An Excellent Actor--"Pardon Me,  Miss Effingham,  I

Know Not What I Am Saying,  I Am Mad. Yes,  Lady,  Mad! For Your Beauty

Like The Moon,  Makes All Men Mad,  Who Comes Within The Sphere Of Its

Attraction. Forgive Me For Thus Offending You." Edith Turned Towards

Him,  And With Calm Dignity Replied,  "Promise Me Never Again To Revert To

This Subject,  And In No Way Further Molest Me,  And What Has Just Passed

Shall Be Forgiven." He Gave The Required Promise. Edith Then Pursued Her

Way To The End Of The Conservatory,  Passed Through The Doorway,  And On

To The Terrace Where She Was Met By Her Uncle. He Observed Her

Heightened Color,  But As She Made No Complaint He Allowed It To Pass

Without Comment.

 

Ralph Coleman Stood For A Few Moments Irresolute. She Must,  He Thought,

Either Be Aware That Her Uncle Has Left Her Sole Heiress,  Or Else Is In

Love With Another,  Carlton Perhaps. Fool That I Was To Run So Great A

Risk,  And That,  At The Instigation Of That Scheming Woman. Should She

Say Aught To Her Uncle On This Matter,  It Would Ruin Me With Him. I Will

At Once Seek An Interview And Endeavour To Wheedle Him Out Of A Promise

To Make A Codicil In My Favor.

 

Chapter 6 Pg 39

Failing In The Attempt To Secure The Hand Of The Beautiful Miss

Effingham,  And Not Daring To Risk Another Trial,  As It Might Spoil The

Plans He Had Been Contemplating Since Edith's Dismissal Of Him,  He Had

Kept Shy Of That Young Lady During The Remainder Of His Stay,  And Prior

To His Departure For London,  He Had Contrived To Have A Long Interview

With The Baronet,  During Which He Very Ably Showed The Position That He

Would Hold Should The Baronetcy Eventually Descend To Him Who Was

Totally Unable To Support The Dignity Of The Rank That Would Thus Be

Thrust Upon Him. So Well And Ably Did He Argue This Point,  That Ere He

Left Vellenaux He Extorted A Sort Of Promise From Sir Jasper That He

Would Think The Matter Over And Make A Bequest In His Favor.

 

He Returned To His Office,  In Deed Court,  Annoyed And Disheartened To A

Considerable Extent By The Failure Of His Designs As Far As Related To

Miss Effingham,  But His Wounded Vanity He Could Afford To Bear And Hide

Within His Own Breast,  As He Now Confidently Believed That Sir Jasper

Would Adopt The Suggestions He Had Made To Him,  And Settle,  At Least,

Two Or Three Thousand Per Annum On The Successor To The Baronetcy During

The Said Successor's Life; And In This Frame Of Mind The Lawyer

Determined To De Vote Himself Entirely To His Profession,  And To Avoid

The Pretty Edith,  Mrs. Fraudhurst,  And Vellenaux,  Until The Present

Owner Should Have Been Gathered To His Fathers.

 

There Is Perhaps No Season Of The Year In The South Of England So

Pleasing To The Eye Or More Genial To The Corporeal Faculties Than That

Of Early Autumn,  Especially That Part Of Devonshire Which We Have

Selected For The Opening And Closing Scene Of Our Story. Vellenaux,  With

Its Varied And Picturesque Styles Of Architecture,  Embosomed,  As It

Were,  In Rich Woodlands,  With A Perfect Amphitheatre Of Hills On Three

Sides,  And Ever And Anon The Soft Breezes Of The Ocean Sweeping Over The

Downs,  And Through The Beech Woods On The Other. It Was,  Indeed,  A

Domain Of Which Any One Might Have Been Proud.

 

It Was A Lovely Evening,  The Sun Had Just Commenced To Dip Behind The

Crest Of The Adjacent Hills,  And Was Sending Its Golden Rays Through The

Bright Foliage Of The Trees And Down The Long Paths That Led To The

Woods Hard By. Edith Had Strolled,  Book In Hand,  To Her Favourite Knoll,

Beneath A Stately Elm,  And Was Engaged In Reading. Her Two Favourite

Dogs,  Fine Specimens Of The Italian Greyhound,  Chased Each Other In

Circles Which Gradually Grew Smaller Until It Brought Them To The Very

Feet Of Their Mistress. One Placed His Small Smooth Nose In The Little

White Hand That Was Thrown