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

Arthur Were,  Beyond Doubt,  Devotedly Attached To Each

Other,  The Word That Would Have Made Them Both Happy Had Not Yet Been

Spoken; There Was No Engagement,  Or In Fact,  Any Advance Towards One,

Yet Both,  In Their Heart Of Hearts,  Realized The Great Love They Felt

For Each Other. But Prudential Motives Had Kept Arthur Silent. Edith

Knew This And Was Content To Wait For The Developments Of The Future. In

The Meantime She Did Not Hesitate To Participate In The Amusements And

Enjoyments Which Offered,  And Which Were Continually Pressed Upon Her By

Her Kind Friends,  The Bartons.

 

 

Chapter 9 Pg 61

 

The Capital Of Bengal Was A Very Gay City. What With Balls And Public

Breakfasts At The Governor General's,  Brilliant Assemblages Given By The

Civil Service Granders,  With No End Of Picnics,  Theatricals,  Cricket

Matches And Races Improvised By The Military And Naval Officers,  For The

Especial Benefit (At Least So They Said) Of The Beautiful,  Gay

Butterflies That Condescended To Grace,  With Their Presence,  Such

Assemblages; And Pauline Barton Never Allowed These Occurrences To

Transpire Without Inducing The Beautiful Miss Effingham,  As She Was

Usually Styled,  To Accompany Her,  For Pauline Was,  Indeed,  Very Popular

In Chowringee And Around Its Vicinity,  And Her Bungalow Was A Constant

Lounge For The Gallants Of All Services. Horace Was No Niggard In His

Hospitality,  But Preferred The Ease And Comfort Of His Own Sanctum To

The Gay Rattle That Was Continually Going On In His Pretty Little Wife's

Drawing Room Or Verandahs. And Arthur Was Again,  For A Fourth Time Since

His Arrival In The Country,  In Calcutta. He Had Contrived To Get

Appointed One Of A Committee For The Purchasing Of Troop Horses For His

Regiment And This Would Detain Him At The Presidency For A Couple Of

Months. This Was A Source Of Much Pleasure To Edith,  For Sometimes

Accompanied By Mrs. Barton,  But More Frequently Alone,  Would Arthur And

Edith,  Either Driving Or On Horseback,  Wend Their Way Through The Shaded

Avenues That Crossed The Midan,  Along The Strand By The River Side To

Garden,  Reach And Loiter In The Botanical Gardens; This Being

Considered By The Grandees The Most Fashionable Resort For A Canter In

Chapter 9 Pg 62

The Early Morn Or A Pleasant Drive About Sunset.

 

It Never Entered The Head Of Pretty Mrs. Barton That There Could Be Any

Serious Love Making Between Her Friend And The Handsome Lieutenant. She

Knew That They Had Been Brought Up Together From Childhood And Were More

Like Brother And Sister Than Lovers,  And Had Such An Idea Been Suggested

To Her By Any Of Her Friends,  She Would Have Pooh Poohed It As Mere

Moonshine. She Knew That It Was Out Of The Question For A Subaltern To

Enter The Matrimonial Arena; Besides The Brilliant Beauty Of Miss

Effingham Must Command A Suitable Alliance And An Enviable Position

Whenever She Cared To Enter Upon The Responsibility Of Married Life,  And

It Appeared Evident That Edith Was In No Hurry To Take The Initiative Or

Allow Herself To Be Led Away By The Flattering Speeches She Daily Heard

From Those,  By Whom She Was Surrounded. Nor Was Mrs. Barton At All

Desirous That She Should Enter Into Any Such Engagement,  For She Was

Well Aware That It Was The Charm Of Her Fair Friend's Manner That Drew

To Her House The Most Agreeable And Handsomest Men Of The Capital. She

Knew Likewise That It Was Horace's Intention To Settle In England As

Soon As His Term Of Service Should Expire,  And It Would Then Be Time For

Edith To Select From Her Numerous Admirers The One She Most Preferred,

But Until That Time She Should Be Exceedingly Sorry To Part With Her.

 

"Do You Intend Spending The Day At Mrs. Deborah's?" Enquired Mrs. Barton

Of Edith As They Rose From The Breakfast Table. Edith Replied In The

Affirmative. "Well,  Then,  I Will Send The Palkee For You; But Do Not Be

Late,  My Dear,  For Dinner." She Had No Intention Of Being Too Late,  As

She Knew That In All Probability Arthur Would Make His Appearance During

The Evening. The Distance From The Bartons To Her Friend's Bungalow Was

Not More Than Half A Mile. The Road Lay Through A Very Picturesque But

Somewhat Lonely Part Of The Suburbs. The Date And Stately Palms,

Intermingled With The Blossom Of The Gold Mohur Trees,  Looked So Very

Lovely By The Light Of The Setting Sun. For Some Cause Or Other Edith's

Palkee Did Not Arrive At The Time Appointed,  And Not Wishing To Trouble

Her Friend--Who Usually Sent Her Children At Sunset In Their Palkee For

An Airing--And Attracted By The Beauty Of The Scene,  She Started To Walk

Home,  Thinking Of The Pleasure Of Meeting Arthur. Her Mind Was Engaged

On This Subject When She Reached A Date Grove,  A Short Distance From The

Road Side,  And So Busy Was She With Her Thoughts,  She Had Not Noticed

That For The Past Few Minutes She Had Been Followed By A Tall,  Burly

Mussulman,  And He Came Upon Her Before She Was Aware Of His Presence.

Without A Word Of Warning,  He Threw His Long Arms Around Her Waist,  And

Endeavored To Drag Or Carry Her To The Date Grove. There Could Be No

Mistaking His Intentions,  And He Would No Doubt Have Succeeded In

Carrying Out His Villainous Design--For The Terrified Girl Was In A Half

Fainting Condition,  And Unable From The Suddenness Of The Attack,  To

Offer Much Resistance--When Arthur Carlton,  Who Had Been Attracted To

The Spot By Her Shrieks And Cries For Help,  Came To The Rescue. He Had

Called At The Bungalow,  And Learning Where She Might Be Found,  Had Set

Out In Search Of Her,  And Arrived Just In Time. The Ruffian Managed To

Make Good His Escape,  Not,  However,  Before He Had Received Several

Marks Of Arthur's Favor From The Horsewhip He Carried. He Then Supported

The Still,  Trembling Girl Home,  And She Soon Forgot,  In His Society,  The

Danger Which Had Menaced Her.

Chapter 9 Pg 63

 

Exasperated Beyond Measure At So Rare An Occurrence As The Attack Made

On His Beloved Edith,  He At Once Sought The Aid Of The Police,  And From

The Description Given They Soon Succeeded In Tracing The Offender,  Who

Proved To Be A Subaltern Of The Native Cavalry. The Affair Was Reported

To Head Quarters,  And A Court Of Enquiry Was Summoned Which Resulted In

The Court Martial And Dismissal From Service Of The Blackguard,  Who

Immediately Left The Station,  Vowing To Have His Revenge On Carlton,

Should Ever An Opportunity Occur For So Doing,  And This,  With A

Mahammedan Means Mischief,  For They Never Rest In Their Endeavors To

Effect A Purpose.

 

The Duties Which Brought Carlton To Calcutta Were Now At An End,  And The

Lieutenant Had To Return To Head Quarters. Edith,  Being Of An Enquiring

Turn Of Mind,  Acquired A Great Deal Of Information Respecting The

Natives' Character,  Their Castes,  Customs And Ceremonies,  And By The Aid

Of A Moonshee Soon Learned To Speak With Ease And Fluency The Hindostan

Language. This She Turned To Account In The Management Of The Household

Servants.

 

Calcutta Is The Largest City In British India,  And Is Situated On The

Bank Of The Hoogley,  One Of The Branches Of The River Ganges,  Held As

Sacred By The Natives. There Are Quite A Number Of Europeans And

Professing Christians,  Numbering In The Aggregate About Fourteen

Thousand,  The Principal Portions Of Which Are Half Castes,  Three

Quarter Castes,  Euroasians,  Portuguese And Hindoo Britons. The Half

Castes Are The Progeny Of The European Men And Native Women. The

Three-Quarter-Castes,  That Of European Fathers And Half-Caste Mothers.

The Euroasians Spring From European And Three-Quarter-Caste Parents,

While The Hindoo Britons Are The Children Of European Parents,  Born In

India. The Portuguese Likewise Intermarry With These Classes. These

People Make Up The Principal Number Of Those Professing Christianity

Throughout The Presidency. The Churches Of England,  Rome,  And Scotland

Were Well Attended By The Officers Of The Civil Service,  Army And Navy,

With Their Families,  Among Which There Is Very Little Sectarianism. But

The Roman Catholic Faith Is Largely Diffused Among The Other Classes.

The Native Population Of All Castes Number About Six Hundred Thousand,

And Although They Have No Regular Sunday Or Day Of Rest,  They Have Quite

A Number Of Religious Festivals Or Holidays Which They Scrupulously

Observe.

 

The Principal Festival,  And The One Most Religiously Kept Of All The

Holidays Among The True Believers--As The Followers Of Mahomet Style

Themselves--Is That Of The Moharum,  Which Lasts Ten Days,  Commencing

From The Appearance Of The New Moon,  In The Month Of November,  During

Which Time Handsome Temples And Mosques Are Constructed Of Bamboo And

Paper,  And Embellished With Glass,  Paint And Gilding. On The Last Day

They Are Carried In Grand Procession Through The Public Thoroughfares,

Proceeded By A Band Of Music And Accompanied By An Immense Concourse Of

Spectators. Many Of The Faithful Prostrate Themselves Before These

Taboots,  And In Many Instances Rolling Over And Over In The Muddy

Streets For A Considerable Distance,  Being Generally Well Primed With

Bang Or Opium. There Are Occasional Disturbances Between The Fanatics Of

Chapter 9 Pg 64

The Different Castes,  For Many Of These Work Themselves Up To A Pitch Of

Frenzy By The Use Of Narcotics And Other Stimulants,  But The Government

Always Take Steps To Prevent Any Serious Outbreak,  By Having The Troops

Posted In Different Parts Of The Town,  Ready To Turn Out At A Moment's

Notice,  And A Strong Body Of Police Mounted And On Foot Accompany The

Procession To Enforce Order. At Sunset They Reach The River,  And The

Day's Proceedings Terminate By The Taboots Being Thrown Into The Water,

Amid The Shouts,  Gesticulation And Vociferations Of