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Capítulo VIII
Equivocación rectificada sobre un punto de ceremonia

Arabela no se acordaba ya de su héroe disfrazado. Participola su padre una novedad de que iban a originarse infinitos accidentes: un sobrino suyo, recién llegado de sus viajes por Europa, se hallaba en camino para visitarlo. Al mismo tiempo que la anunció esta visita, la significó que era el marido que la destinaba. Una confianza tan sin preparación ofendió la delicadeza de Arabela. Según sus máximas, era necesario que su amante comprase su corazón con muchos años de constancia y de importantes servicios. Recibir amante de las manos de un padre no era conforme a las reglas: ¿qué heroína tuvo nunca por esposo a un hombre elegido por sus padres? Los cargos, en casos semejantes, se llaman persecuciones; la obstinación, constancia y la inclinación a odiar a la persona elegida se llama fuerza de espíritu.

Determinada Arabela, con ejemplos heroicos, a no amar al que se le proponía, respondió a su padre, con un tono muy enfático, que le obedecería siempre en las cosas justas y razonables; que la había dado tantas pruebas de ternura que no lo juzgaba capaz de forzar su inclinación, que haría siempre cuanto pendiese de ella para no tener ninguna que pudiera desagradarle y que recibiría a su primo con la cortesía debida a un pariente cercano honrado con su estimación. Admiró el marqués la elocuencia de su hija, sin penetrar el doble sentido de su respuesta, creyendo que aprobaba modestamente su elección.

Dando y tomando Arabela sobre esta conversación, se metió en lo más retirado del jardín, adonde Lucía fue a avisarla que había llegado su primo. Casi al mismo tiempo se le presentaron este y el marqués, y, aunque Arabela estaba preocupada contra Glanville (así se llamaba el primo), quedó sorprendida de la nobleza gallarda de su persona.

—Confieso –dijo a Lucía sonriéndose– que el amante que mi padre me ofrece no es indigno de mi atención, pero, bajo este título, lo miro con repugnancia.

El marqués se llegó a su hija, la presentó a Glanville y este la abrazó y dio un ósculo con la familiaridad de pariente11. Arabela se dio por ofendida y manifestó su enojo; Glanville no reparó en que su prima lo recibía mal y atribuyó aquella bronquedad a efecto de una educación de campo12.

Pesaroso el marqués de la frialdad de su hija, creyó que padecía su modestia y que era necesario dejarla en libertad.

—Hija mía –la dijo–, tu primo no ha hecho más que lo que el uso permite en la primera visita. p. 56

—Pues que el mundo ha degenerado tanto –replicó Arabela mirando desdeñosamente a Glanville–, me felicito de vivir en una soledad para no verme frecuentemente expuesta a estilos que desapruebo.

—Prima mía –replicó Glanville con ingeniosa viveza–, decidme lo que he de hacer para agradaros, pues lo que más codicio es vuestro aprecio.

—Temo no encontrar en vos la necesaria docilidad para recibir mis lecciones.

—Decidme, a lo menos, para no ofenderos en adelante, cómo queréis que se os salude13.

—Mi advertencia sería inútil, no siendo necesaria la repetición del ceremonial. Quisiera, no obstante, saber si todos los caballeros son tan familiares como vos y si a la primera vista de una parienta no está recibido generalmente el uso de contentarse con un honesto abrazo.

—¡Oh, prima mía, decís bien: un abrazo amistoso y honesto es ciertamente preferible a un ósculo dado con tanta frialdad!... ¡Cuánto diera yo por que mi tío me presentase segunda vez y me valiese la complacencia de verme estrechado en vuestros brazos!

La viveza con que se explicó Glanville desagradó de tal modo a Arabela que se apartó de él ásperamente y, así que estuvo a cierta distancia, envió a Lucía para decirle que no la siguiera. Glanville, como no acostumbrado todavía a una exacta obediencia, iba a buscarla a pesar del mensaje, pero el marqués, que se había separado a efecto de dejar juntos a los jóvenes, como vio a Glanville solo, lo llamó y ahorró por entonces a su hija la mortificación de verse desobedecida.

11 ‘dio un beso’.

12 Bronquedad: «aspereza» (Aut).

13 ‘al menos’; forma recogida en Aut.

Chapter VIII
In which a mistake, in point of ceremony, is rectified.

Arabella had scarce* done thinking of this last adventure, when the marquis communicated a piece of intelligence to her, which opened a prospect of an infinite number of new ones.

His nephew, having just returned from his travels, was preparing to come and pay him a visit in his retreat; and, as he always designed to marry Arabella to this youth, of whom he was extremely fond, he told his daughter of the intended visit of her cousin, whom she had not seen since she was eight years old; and, for the first time, insinuated his design of giving him to her for a* husband.

Arabella, whose delicacy was extremely shocked at this abrupt declaration of her father, could hardly hide her chagrin;* for, [36] though she always intended to marry some time or other, as all the heroines had done, yet she thought such an event ought to be brought about with an infinite deal of trouble; and that it was necessary she should pass to this state through a great number of cares, disappointments and distresses of various kinds, like them; that her lover should purchase her with his sword from a crowd of rivals, and arrive to the possession of her heart by many years of services and fidelity.

The impropriety of receiving a lover of her father’s recommending appeared in its strongest light. What lady in romance ever married the man that was chosen for her? In those cases the remonstrances of a parent are called persecutions; obstinate resistance, constancy and courage; and an aptitude to dislike the person proposed to them, a noble freedom of mind which disdains to love or hate by the caprice of others.

Arabella, strengthening her own resolutions by those examples of heroic disobedience, told her father, with great solemnity of accent, that she would always obey him in all just and reasonable things; and, being persuaded that he would never attempt to lay any force upon her inclinations, she would endeavour to make them conformable to his, and receive her cousin with that civility and friendship due to so near a relation, and a person whom he honoured with his esteem.

The marquis, having had frequent occasions of admiring his daughter’s eloquence, did not draw any unpleasing conclusion from the nice [37] distinctions she made; and, being perfectly assured of her consent whenever he demanded it, expected the arrival of his nephew with great impatience.p. 59

Arabella, whose thoughts had been fully employed since this conversation with her father, was indulging her meditations in one of the most retired walks in the garden, when she was informed by Lucy that her cousin was come, and that the marquis had brought him into the garden to look for her.

That instant they both entered the walk, when Arabella, prepossessed as she was against any favourable thoughts of the young Glanville, could not help betraying some surprise at the gracefulness of his figure.

“It must be confessed,” said she to her attendant with a smile, “that this lover my father has brought us, is no contemptible person. Nevertheless, I feel an invincible repugnance in myself against receiving him in that character.”

As she finished these words, the marquis came up, and presented Mr. Glanville to her, who, saluting* her with the freedom of a relation, gave her a disgust that showed itself immediately in her fair face, which was overspread with such a gloom that the marquis was quite astonished at it. Indeed Arabella, who expected he would hardly have presumed to kiss her hand, was so surprised at his freedom in attempting her lips that she not only expressed her indignation by frowns, but gave him to understand he had mortally offended her.

Mr. Glanville, however, was neither surprised nor angry at her resentment; but, imputing it [38] to her country education, endeavoured to rally her out of her ill humour; and the marquis, being glad to find a behaviour, which he thought proceeded from her dislike of her cousin, was only an effect of an overscrupulous modesty, told her that Mr. Glanville had committed no offence by saluting her, since that was a civility which was granted to all strangers at the first interview, and therefore could not be refused to a relation.

“Since the world is so degenerated in its customs from what it was formerly,” said Arabella, with a smile full of contempt upon her cousin, “I am extremely happy in having lived in a solitude which has not yet exposed me to the mortification of being a witness to manners I cannot approve; for if every person I shall meet with for the future be so deficient in their respects to ladies, as my cousin is, I shall not care how much I am secluded from society.”

“But, dear Lady Bella,” interrupted Mr. Glanville gaily, “tell me, I beseech you, how I must behave to please you; for I should be extremely glad to be honoured with your good opinion.”

“The person,” resumed she, “whom I must teach how to acquire my good opinion, will, I am afraid, hardly recompense me by his docility in learning, for the pains I should be at in instructing him.”

“But,” resumed Glanville, “that I may avoid any more occasions of offending you, only let me know how you would be approached for the future.”

“Since,” answered she, “there is no necessity to renew the ceremony of introducing you again [39] to me, I have not a second affront of that kind to apprehend; but I pray, tell me if all cavaliers* are as presuming as yourself, and if a relation of your sex does not think a modest embrace from a lady a welcome sufficiently tender?”b

“Nay, cousin,” cried Glanville eagerly, “I am now persuaded you are in the right; an embrace is certainly to be preferred to a cold salute. What would I give that the marquis would introduce me a second time that I might be received with so delightful a welcome?”

The vivacity with which he spoke this was so extremely disagreeable to Arabella that she turned from him abruptly, and, striking into another walk, ordered Lucy to tell him she commanded him not to follow her.

Mr. Glanville, however, who had no notion of the exact obedience which was expected from him, would have gone after her, notwithstanding this prohibition, which Lucy delivered in a most peremptory manner, after her lady’s example. But the marquis, who had left the two young people at liberty to discourse, and had walked on that he might not interrupt them, turning about, and seeing Glanville alone, called him to have some private discourse with him; and, for that time, spared Arabella the mortification of seeing her commands disobeyed.

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b The heroines, though they think a kiss of the hand a great condescension to a lover, and never grant it without blushes and confusion; yet make no scruple to embrace him upon every short absence.

iscarce] arch. Barely.

iia] All instances of the form an before a noun beginning with the sound [’h] have been modernised to a.

iiichagrin] Fiery indignation.

ivsaluting] arch. To greet with a kiss.

vcavaliers] obs. A gallant.