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

A Few Moments The Door Was Thrown Open,  And A Spruce,  Dapper Looking

Gentleman,  Clothed In Sombre Colored Garments,  Irreproachable Linen,  And

Carrying A Small Merino Bag In His Hand,  Was Ushered In.

 

"I Believe I Have The Pleasure Of Speaking To Captain Arthur Carlton Of

H.M. Light Dragoons," Said That Individual,  As He Advanced Towards The

Table,  At Which The Two Friends Were Seated.

 

"Late Of The Light Dragoons," Replied Carlton,  "For I Have Sold Out--Or,

What Amounts To The Same Thing,  I Have Directed The Army Agent To Do

So"--Pointing As He Spoke To A Vacant Chair.

 

The Man Of Law Availing Himself Of This Piece Of Politeness Took The

Chair,  Placing His Bag On The Carpet At His Feet.

 

"And What May Be Your Pleasure Or Business With Me? You May Speak Out,"

Said Carlton,  Noticing The Glance That His Visitor Threw At The Surgeon,

"That Gentleman Is My Most Intimate Friend And Brother Officer."

 

"I Have A Few Questions To Ask Concerning Your Father And Grandfather,

The Answering Of Which May Lead To Something,  I Have No Doubt,  Will,  At

No Distant Date,  Prove Of Much Importance To You And Yours," Was The

Reply.

 

"Proceed Then," Said Arthur,  "With Your Interrogations,  And I Will Reply

To The Best Of My Ability,  Though I Must Candidly Confess That I Know

Very Little Of The Early History Of My Father,  And Still Less Of My

Chapter 19 Pg 122

Grandfather,  For They Both Spent So Many Years Abroad,  In India And On

The European Continent."

 

Mr. Capias Hereupon Drew From His Bag A Small Bundle Of Letters And

Papers And Arranged Them On The Table In Front Of Him,  Then Commenced

His Enquiries As Follows:

 

"Will You Be So Good As To State The Name And Position Of Your Father,

His Place Of Birth,  The School Or College Where He Was Educated,  And The

Place Of Residence At His Decease."

 

"Arthur Howard Carlton,  Colonel Of Cavalry In The Service Of Her

Majesty,  Born At Montazuena,  In Mexico,  Educated At Rugby,  And Died At

Exeter,  Devonshire,  England,  In The Fifty-Sixth Year Of His Age,  Leaving

But One Son,  Your Obedient Servant," Here Arthur Bowed In A Somewhat

Stately Manner To His,  Interrogater.

 

"Exactly So," Said The Lawyer,  Glancing At A Paper He Held In His Hand,

Which He Then 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

Chapter 19 Pg 123

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

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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,