Vellenaux | Page 5

and worthy woman, but not
such an one as the future heiress of Vellenaux should be entrusted to, as
she advances from childhood to maturity. It is an important and
responsible position, and should only be undertaken by those who have
already passed through the struggles and trials of the world, and drank
of the cup of affliction." Here a pearly tear fell upon the hand of the
good-natured Baronet, and here she applied her white laced cambric to
her eyes.
This was the coup de main that carried the day. The soft-hearted

bachelor was not proof against this, besides there was truth and reason
in her suggestions for his darling little niece, and he did not see how he
could, for the present, do better than to offer to Mrs. Fraudhurst the
charge of Edith, and before he took leave it was arranged that the
widow should call at Vellenaux daily and endeavor to gain the
confidence of the child, and at the end of the six months she should
give up housekeeping and be installed as governess and companion for
Edith; and so well did she play her cards that she had scarcely been
there twelve months when she ruled the household as though she were
its legitimate mistress; always heading the table when Sir Jasper
entertained his bachelor friends, and thus, we may say, for several years
lived in clover. Her chief duties consisted in educating Edith and
Arthur, which, for several years, was a task which did not require much
mental endowment or physical exertion. It was, in fact, more of a
pastime than otherwise, and as she always accompanied Edith when
visiting the neighboring families, there was but little monotony to
complain of.
She had a double object in becoming an inmate of Vellenaux. First, that
of securing a comfortable home for several years. But her grand
scheme was that of making herself so necessary to the Baronet, that she
could, in time, undermine the defences, carry the Citadel by stratagem,
and finally become the envied mistress of Vellenaux. But a few months
residence under the same roof served to convince her of the fallacy of
the project; for there were two grand difficulties that she could not
overcome; his strong objection to matrimony, and his affection for his
niece. Therefore, the shrewd and cautious widow had to relinquish her
attack in that direction; and as Edith advanced towards womanhood,
her position became more precarious. There were two events to be
dreaded, and in either case she believed her occupation gone, and these
were the death of Sir Jasper or Edith's marriage. Her income during the
years of her residence with Sir Jasper had been a handsome one, and
being at little or no expense, she managed to accumulate a goodly sum
at her bankers; but the idea of losing her present abode was to her
disagreeable in the extreme, and her busy mind was continually at work
to devise how this could be averted, and this was the way matters stood
with her on the morning alluded to.

"He is coming home from College next month not again to return, and
she loves him, though she may not at present realize the fact, but that
knowledge will come, and I fear much too soon. Sir Jasper will not
object, and the youth will hardly refuse to accept Vellenaux and twenty
thousand a year, although there be an incumbrance in the shape of a
wife attached to the bargain. Yes, I see it all, they will marry and I shall
be thrown out in the cold unless I have wit enough to prevent it without
appearing to interest myself in any way with what ought not to concern
me. But Arthur Carlton must not remain here. He must be sent abroad,
to America, India, anywhere, it matters not where, so that they be
separated, and that ere long." These were the thoughts that chased each
other through the active brain of Mrs. Fraudhurst, as she sat alone in
the Library. Half an hour had elapsed ere she had quite made up her
mind as to what course she should pursue to avoid the impending evil.
Then, at length, seeming to grasp the difficulty, she took up her pen and
wrote what she thought was likely to transpire at Vellenaux should
there be no one sufficiently interested in the matter to prevent the estate
(which had been in the Coleman family for several generations) from
passing into other hands. This she sent to one whom she had every
reason to believe (for she had observed him well) would not scruple to
use any means to gain possession of the broad lands of Vellenaux. This
letter the cautious widow posted with her own hands, to prevent the
possibility of