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Capítulo XXI
Su principal mérito está en acabar con una excelente sentencia
Llegado el día de las carreras (o de los juegos, como Arabela los llamaba), pasó Carlota cuatro horas en su tocador e hizo cuanto la fue posible para superar a su prima en buen parecer, ya que el luto no la permitía más que una compostura ligera y sencilla, y así que el espejo la dijo que nada tenía que añadir a su adorno, corrió al cuarto de Arabela, que todavía estaba con su vestido casero.
—¡Cómo es esto! ¿Aún no estás vestida, prima mía? Mi hermano dice que ya es tiempo de marchar y ¿aún no has empezado a vestirte?
—Sosiégate –la contestó Arabela, quitándose su cofia dormilona–. No te haré esperar.
Carlota se la sentó al lado para tener motivo de criticarla, pero vio con mortificación suya que el arte la era inútil y que estaba linda, sin poner de su parte para parecerlo. Carlota confiaba, a lo menos, en oír ridiculizar el vestido de Arabela y en ver a las damas reírse de un velo que, aunque, a la verdad, la sentaba bien, no estaba aprobado por la moda.
Vestida ya Arabela, tomaron el coche, con apariencias de buen humor de una y otra parte, y marcharon.
Llegaron cuando iban a empezarse las carreras. Arabela, que vio a los corredores vestidos con chupas de raso de diferentes colores, creyó que eran personas de distinción y se interesó por el que tenía mejor figura, pero de tal manera en sus primeras ventajas que Carlota la dijo secamente que notarían su complacencia y creerían que el postillón no la era indiferente53.
Sentido Glanville de la proposición, se mordió los labios; pero Arabela no la llevó a mal.
—Te aseguro –la respondió sonriéndose– que me muestro parcial por este a causa de tener mejor traza y de ser más diestro que los otros... Acaso imaginas que es alguno de mis ocultos amantes, pero te protesto que no es por mí por quien aspira a la gloria.
—¡Ay, Dios mío! Prima, ¿qué es lo que hablas? Todos te gradúan de hermosa, pero no son tan poderosos tus atractivos que alcancen a seducir a gentes de esta especie... p. 87
Arabela, ocupada en la observación de sus héroes, prestó poca atención a este sarcasmo y Glanville se aprovechó del momento en que asomó la cabeza por la portezuela del coche para reprender a su hermana. Un caballerito llamado Jorge Belmur, movido por la curiosidad de ver más de cerca la bella figura de nuestra heroína, iba a informarse de quién era cuando vio a Glanville; se acercó respetuosamente al coche, saludó a las damas y dio la mano a su antiguo amigo.
Sintió mucho Glanville aquel encuentro, pero se dominó lo necesario para que no lo conocieran. Carlota, regocijadísima de haber dado con alguno que la dijera lisonjas, se dirigió al caballero Jorge:
—Es verdad que llegáis oportunamente para alegrar nuestra conversación: los parientes entre sí forman una sociedad muy triste; un cuarto de hora ha que no hacemos otra cosa que enviarnos de rechazo tres o cuatro palabras, como si nuestros entendimientos jugaran al volante54.
—Mi prima –dijo Arabela– tiene un genio tan jovial que gradúa de perdidos todos los instantes en que no ríe. Yo estoy enteramente embebida en el espectáculo y mi curiosidad de saber a quién la fortuna concederá la victoria es tal que ni aun se distrae mi atención con lo festivo de su carácter...
Atento Glanville a las impresiones que recibía su amigo, le habló de caballos, de corredores, de apuestas, etc., pero Arabela los interrumpió con esta pregunta:
—Decidme, señores, ¿se sabe quién es el galán escudero que ha ganado el primer premio?
Jorge, maravillado de aquel modo de explicarse, respondió:
—Os protesto, señora, que no me he informado de su nombre.
Mientras hablaban, ganó otro premio el mismo corredor y Arabela no pudo ocultar su gozo:
—Mucho temo –dijo– que no tengamos la satisfacción de saber quién sea; acaso desaparecerá como Hortensio en los juegos olímpicos55.
Las monadas seductoras de Carlota hicieron que Jorge Belmur no atendiese a dicha singular expresión y Glanville opinó por volverse a la quinta. Carlota, que no quiso soltar a Belmur, lo obligó a que entregara el caballo a uno de sus criados y a que se metiera en el coche. Mientras el camino, Arabela continuó hablando de los juegos y Glanville haciendo cuanto podía para desvanecer la conversación. El joven, embobado con la hermosura de su nuevo conocimiento, la escuchaba con una admiración que no podía disimular. Prolongó su visita esperando ocasión de decir alguna cosa lisonjera, pero Carlota usó de tanto arte que solo paró su consideración en ella. Partió, en fin, sin haber insinuado a Arabela nada de su inclinación (osadía que lo hubiera desterrado para siempre de su presencia) y estuvo tan preocupado que se disgustó mucho de ello. ¡Tan incapaces son los pobres humanos de conocer y de juzgar las cosas que les convienen!
53 ‘Arabela se excedía en sus expresiones hacia el postillón de manera que podría pecar de indiscreta’; de ahí la indicación de Carlota.
54 El volante era un juego parecido al bádminton moderno. Véase: https://janeausten.co.uk/es/blogs/games-to-play/battledore-and-shuttlecock.
55 De acuerdo con Dalziel (394), Arabela equivoca el nombre: no se trataría de Hortensio, sino de Atalo (Clélie, histoire romaine IV.1).
Chapter VIII
Which concludes with an excellent moral sentence.
The day being come on which they designed to be present at the races (or, as Arabella called them, ‘the games’), Miss Glanville, having spent four long hours in dressing herself to the greatest advantage, in order, if possible, to eclipse her lovely cousin, whose mourning, being much deeper, was less capable of ornaments, came into her chamber. And, finding her still in her morning dress:
“For heaven’s sake, Lady Bella,” said she, “when do you purpose to be ready? Why it is almost time to be gone, my brother says, and here you are not a bit dressed!”
[125] “Don’t be uneasy,” said Arabella, smiling; and, going to her toilet, “I shall not make you wait long.”
Miss Glanville, seating herself near the table, resolved to be present while her cousin was dressing that she might have an opportunity to make some remarks to her disadvantage. But she was extremely mortified to observe the haste and negligence she made her women use in this important employment; and that, notwithstanding her indifference, nothing could appear more lovely and genteel.
Miss Glanville, however, pleased herself with the certainty of seeing her cousin’s dress extremely ridiculed, for the peculiar fashion of her gown; and the veil, which, as becoming as it was, would, by its novelty, occasion great diversion among the ladies, helped to comfort her for the superiority of her charms, which, partial as she was to her own, she could not help secretly confessing.
Arabella being dressed in much less time than her cousin, Mr. Glanville was admitted, who led her downstairs to her coach.* His sister (secretly repining at the advantage Arabella had over her, in having so respectful an adorer) followed; and, being placed in the coach, they set out with great appearance of good humour on all sides.
They got to … but just time enough to see the beginning of the first course. Arabella, who fancied the jockeys were persons of great distinction, soon became interested in the fate of one of them, whose appearance pleased her [126] more than the others. Accordingly, she made vows for his success, and appeared so extremely rejoiced at the advantage he had gained that Miss Glanville maliciously told her, people would make remarks at the joy she expressed, and fancy she had a more than ordinary interest in that jockey, who had first reached the goal.
Mr. Glanville, whom this impertinent insinuation of his sister had filled with confusion and spite, sat biting his lips, trembling for the effect it would produce in Arabella. But she, giving quite another turn to her cousin’s words:
“I assure you,” said she, with a smile, “I am not any farther interested in the fate of this person, who has hitherto been successful, than what the handsomeness of his garb and the superiority of his skill may demand from an unprejudiced spectator. And though I perceive you imagine he is some concealed lover of mine, yet I don’t remember to have ever seen him; and I am confident it is not for my sake that he entered the lists, nor is it my presence which animates him.”p. 103
“Lord bless me, madam!” replied Miss Glanville. “Who would ever think of such strange things as these you talk of? Nobody will pretend to deny that you are very handsome, to be sure; but yet, thank heaven, the sight of you is not so dangerous, but that such sort of people as these are may escape your chains.”
Arabella was so wholly taken up with the event of the races that she gave but very little heed to this sarcastic answer of Miss Glanville, whose brother, taking advantage of an opportunity which Arabella gave him by putting her [127] head quite out of the coach, chid her very severely for the liberty she took with her cousin. Arabella, by looking earnestly out of the window, had given so full a view of her fine person to a young baronet, who was not many paces from the coach, that, being struck with admiration at the sight of so lovely a creature, he was going up to some of her attendants to ask who she was, when he perceived Mr. Glanville, with whom he was intimately acquainted, in the coach with her. Immediately he made himself known to his friend, being excessively rejoiced at having got an opportunity of beginning an acquaintance with a lady whose sight had so charmed him.
Mr. Glanville, who had observed the profound bow he made to Arabella, accompanied with a glance that showed an extreme admiration of her, was very little pleased at this meeting; yet he dissembled his thoughts well enough in his reception of him. But Miss Glanville was quite overjoyed, hoping she would now have her turn of gallantry and compliment; therefore, accosting him in her free manner:
“Dear Sir George,” said she, “you come in a lucky time to brighten up the conversation; relations are such dull company for one another, it is half a minute since we have exchanged a word.”
“My cousin,” said Arabella smiling, “has so strange a disposition for mirth that she thinks all her moments are lost, in which she finds nothing to laugh at. For my part, I do so earnestly long to know to which of these pretenders* fortune will give the victory that I [128] can suffer my cares for them to receive no interruption from my cousin’s agreeable gaiety.”
Mr. Glanville, observing the baronet gazed upon Arabella earnestly while she was speaking those few words, resolved to hinder him from making any reply, by asking him several questions concerning the racers, their owners, and the bets which were laid, to which Arabella added:
“And pray, sir,” said she, “do me the favour to tell me if you know who that gallant man is, who has already won the first course.”
“I don’t know really, madam,” said Sir George, “what his name is,” extremely surprised at her manner of asking.
The jockey had now gained the goal a second time, and Arabella could not conceal her satisfaction.
“Questionless,” said she, “he is a very extraordinary person; but I am afraid we shall not have the pleasure of knowing who he is. For if he has any reason for keeping himself concealed, he will evade any enquiries after him, by slipping out of the lists while this hurry and tumult lasts, as Hortensius did at the Olympic games. Yet, notwithstanding all his care, he was discovered by being obliged to fight a single combat with one of the persons whom he had worsted at those games.”p. 104
Mr. Glanville, who saw his sister, by her little coquetries with Sir George, had prevented him from hearing great part of this odd speech, proposed returning to the castle, to which Arabella agreed; but conceiving civility obliged her to offer the convenience of a lodging to a stranger of Sir George’s appearance, and who was an acquaintance of her cousin’s:
“You must [129] permit me,” said she to Mr. Glanville, “to entreat your noble friend will accompany us to the castle, where he will meet with* better accommodations than at any inn he can find. For I conceive that coming only to be a spectator of these games, he is wholly unprovided with a lodging.”
The baronet, surprised at so uncommon a civility, was at a loss what answer to make her at first; but recollecting himself, he told her that he would, if she pleased, do himself the honour to attend her home. But, as his house was at no great distance from …, he would be put to no inconvenience* for a lodging.
Miss Glanville, who was not willing to part so soon with the baronet, insisted, with her cousin’s leave, upon his coming into the coach, which he accordingly did, giving his horse to the care of his servant; and they proceeded together to the castle, Arabella still continuing to talk of the games, as she called them, while poor Glanville, who was excessively confused, endeavoured to change the discourse, not without an apprehension, that every subject he could think of would afford Arabella an occasion of showing her foible, which, notwithstanding the pain it gave him, could not lessen his love.*
Sir George, whose admiration of Lady Bella increased the longer he saw her, was extremely pleased with the opportunity she had given him of cultivating an acquaintance with her. He therefore lengthened out his visit, in hopes of being able to say some fine things to her before he went away; but Miss Glanville, who strove [130] by all the little arts she was mistress of, to engage his conversation wholly to herself, put it absolutely out of his power; so that he was obliged to take his leave without having the satisfaction of even pressing the fair hand of Arabella, so closely was he observed by her cousin. Happy was it for him that he was prevented by her vigilance from attempting a piece of gallantry which would undoubtedly have procured him a banishment from her presence; but, ignorant how kind fortune was to him in baulking his designs, he was ungrateful enough to go away in a mighty ill humour with this fickle goddess, so little capable are poor mortals of knowing what is best for them!