Traducción
Original
Capítulo XXXI
La heroína, sospechada de insensible
Mientras esto pasaba en la quinta, meditaba el caballero Jorge en los medios de hacerse agradable a los ojos de Arabela, cuyos inmensos bienes lo habían seducido. Había descubierto el temple de su espíritu y conocía bien todas las grandes novelas. Y aun la literatura le debía una obra crítica, en la que había manifestado los plagios de Driden y probado que su Almanzor era una copia de Artabano; que su carácter de Melanton era el de Beriso en el Gran Ciro, y que la historia de Osmín y de Bensayda, en su Conquista de Granada, era extraída poco felizmente de Sesostris y de Timerilla72. Como más ambicioso que delicado, graduaba las debilidades de Arabela de medios felices para obsequiarla y conseguir sus fines. Conoció Jorge la necesidad de vivir amigablemente con Glanville y Carlota, y se resolvió a lisonjear el amor propio de la una y a persuadir al otro que sus visitas no eran por Arabela. Fuéronse haciendo frecuentes y tuvo habilidad para engañar a todos. Cayó enfermo Glanville; no se apartaba dél su hermana, pero Arabela se contentó con informarse a menudo de su salud: habíasele puesto en la cabeza que aquella enfermedad era efecto del amor y aguardaba que la suplicasen que fuera a ver al enfermo. Una heroína no debe dar estos pasos hasta que su presencia es absolutamente necesaria. Carlota, enojada con ella, quiso sacar partido de aquella circunstancia para echarla del corazón de su hermano, pero Glanville, que la conocía mejor, vio en su conducta alguna de sus delicadezas heroicas. Agravose la enfermedad de Glanville. Arabela, sentidísima de que no se implorase su socorro, fingió tanta frialdad que la tibieza de Carlota casi degeneró en aversión. Una mañana que Arabela se informó de la salud de Glanville notó los ojos de su prima bañados en llanto.
—¡Ay, cielos! –exclamó–. ¡Muy malo debe estar mi primo!
—Lo está tanto, que no puede retardarse el enviar por mi padre y aun temo que expire sin tener la satisfacción de verlo.
—¡Expirar dices!... No, no... la piedad de Arabela parará el fatal golpe. ¡Vamos, prima mía, sin diferirlo; vamos a consolar a ese infeliz! Un respeto llevado al exceso le ha impedido, sin duda, exigir mi presencia, pero yo le concedo este favor de mi movimiento propio.
—¡Conque es un favor, según tú, el ir a ver, dentro de tu misma casa, a un pariente enfermo que te ama y a quien has tratado siempre con la mayor inhumanidad!... ¡Ay, Dios! ¡Cuánto me arrepiento de haberte venido a ver! p. 113
—No perdamos, pues, el tiempo en vanos reproches; sabe que las cosas están en su orden y que era imposible que Glanville fuese dichoso sin haber llamado a las puertas del sepulcro; tranquilízate, que hay medios seguros para volverlo a la vida. Artamenes fue arrancado de los brazos de la muerte por la presencia de Mandana; un solo renglón que escribió Parisatis dio la vida a Lisímaco y…73
Carlota, fastidiada de las citas, la dejó con la palabra en la boca y corrió al cuarto de su hermano. Arabela atribuyó su viveza al peligro de Glanville y la siguió.
72 Desde finales del siglo xvii (Dalziel 398-399) se ha venido señalando que la Conquista de Granada (1670), de John Dryden (1631-1700), escritor inglés de gran importancia en la época de la Restauración (1660-1700), hasta el extremo de ser denominada en ocasiones «Época de Dryden», y algunos de los personajes allí incluidos (Almanzor, Melanton, Osmín y Bensayda) bebían directamente de obras y personajes de Scudéry, como aquí rotundamente se defiende, esencialmente de Artamène ou Le Grand Cyrus y Almahide (1660). Timerilla debe ser la Timareta que aparece en la primera de estas obras de Scudéry (VI.2) junto con Sesostris («l’histoire de Sesostris et Timareta»).
73 Lo acontecido con Artamenes remite a la novela de igual nombre (I.2), mientras que lo referido a Lisímaco se hallará en Cassandre (II.2), de acuerdo con la información proporcionada por Dalziel (399). En el primer caso, todo parece indicar que Artamenes ya estaba fuera de peligro de las heridas recibidas en batalla cuando Mandana va a visitarlo de la mano de su padre; en el segundo, Lisímaco, hecho prisionero por Alejandro tras haberse enfrentado con Hefestión por haber sido elegido este último como prometido de Parisatis, decide suicidarse. Una carta de Parisatis ordenándole que siga vivo evita la muerte de Lisímaco.
Chapter VII
In which our heroine is suspected of insensibility.
While these things passed at the castle, Sir George was meditating on the means he should use to acquire the esteem of Lady Bella, of whose person he was a little [198] enamoured, but of her fortune a great deal more.
By the observations he had made on her behaviour, he discovered her peculiar turn. He was well read in romances himself, and had actually employed himself some weeks in giving a new version of the Grand Cyrus. But the prodigious length of the task he had undertaken terrified him so much that he gave it over. Nevertheless, he was perfectly well acquainted with the chief characters in most of the French romances; could tell everything that was borrowed from them in all the new novels that came out; and, being a very accurate critic, and a mortal hater of Dryden, ridiculed him for want of invention, as it appeared by his having recourse to these books for the most shining characters and incidents in his plays. Almanzor, he would say, was the copy of the famous Artaban in Cleopatra, whose exploits Arabella had expatiated upon to Miss Glanville, and her brother: his admired character of Melantha in Marriage a-la-mode was drawn from Berissa in the Grand Cyrus; and the story of Osmyn and Bensayda, in his Conquest of Granada, taken from Sesostris and Timerilla in that romance.
Fraught therefore with the knowledge of all the extravagances and peculiarities in those books, he resolved to make his addresses to Arabella in the form they prescribed; and, not having delicacy enough to be disgusted with the ridicule* in her character, served himself with her foible, to effect his designs.
[199] It being necessary, in order to his better acquaintance with Arabella, to be upon very friendly terms with Miss Glanville and her brother, he said a thousand gallant things to the one,* and seemed so little offended with the gloom he observed upon the countenance of the other, who positively assured him that Arabella meant only to laugh at him when she promised him her history, that he entreated him, with the most obliging earnestness, to favour him with his company at his house, where he omitted no sort of civility to confirm their friendship and intimacy; and persuaded him, by several little and seemingly unguarded expressions, that he was not so great an admirer of Lady Bella, as her agreeable cousin Miss Glanville.p. 140
Having thus secured a footing in the castle, he furnished his memory with all the necessary rules of making love* in Arabella’s taste, and deferred his next visit no longer than till the following day; but Mr. Glanville being indisposed, and not able to see company, he knew it would be in vain to expect to see Arabella, since it was not to be imagined Miss Glanville could admit of a visit, her brother being ill, and Lady Bella must be also necessarily engaged with her.
Contenting himself, therefore, with having enquired after the health of the two ladies, he returned home, not a little vexed at his disappointment.
Mr. Glanville’s indisposition increasing every day, grew at last dangerous enough to fill his sister with extreme apprehensions. Arabella, [200] keeping up to her forms, sent regularly every day to enquire after his health; but did not offer to go into his chamber, though Miss Glanville was almost always there.
As she conceived his sickness to be occasioned by the violence of his passion for her, she expected some overture should be made her by his sister to engage her to make him a visit, such a favour being never granted by any lady to a sick lover till she was previously informed her presence was necessary to hinder the increase of his distemper.
Miss Glanville would not have failed to represent to her cousin the incivility and carelessness of her behaviour, in not deigning to come and see her brother in his indisposition, had not Mr. Glanville, imputing this neglect to the nicety* of her notions, which he had upon other occasions experienced, absolutely forbid her to say anything to her cousin upon this subject.
Miss Glanville being thus forced to silence, by the fear of giving her brother uneasiness, Arabella was extremely disappointed to find that, in five days illness, no application had been made to her, either by the sick lover, or his sister, who she thought interested herself too little in his recovery; so that her glory obliging her to lay some constraint upon herself, she behaved with a coolness and insensibility that increased Miss Glanville’s aversion to her, while, in reality, she was extremely concerned for her cousin’s illness; but not supposing it dangerous, since they had not recourse to the usual remedy, of beseeching a [201] visit from the person whose presence was alone able to work a cure, she resolved to wait patiently the event.
However, she never failed in her respect to Miss Glanville, whom she visited every morning before she went to her brother; and also constantly dined with her in her own apartment, enquiring always, with great sweetness, concerning her brother’s health; when perceiving her in tears one day, as she came in, as usual, to dine with her, she was extremely alarmed, and asked with great precipitation if Mr. Glanville was worse.p. 141
“He is so bad, madam,” returned Miss Glanville, “that I believe it will be necessary to send for my papa, for fear he should die, and he not see him.”
“Die, miss!” interrupted Arabella eagerly. “No, he must not die; and shall not if the pity of Arabella is powerful enough to make him live. Let us go then, cousin,” said she, her eyes streaming with tears, “let us go and visit this dear brother, whom you lament. Haply the sight of me may repair the evils my rigour has caused him; and since, as I imagine, he has forborne, through the profound respect he has for me, to request the favour of a visit, I will voluntarily bestow it on him, as well for the affection I bear you, as because I do not wish his death.”
“You do not wish his death, madam!” said Miss Glanville, excessively angry at a speech, in her opinion, extremely insolent. “Is it such a mighty favour, pray, not to wish the death of my brother, who never injured you? I am sure [202] your behaviour has been so extremely inhuman that I have repented a thousand times we ever came to the castle.”
“Let us not waste the time in idle reproaches,” said Arabella. “If my rigour has brought your brother into this condition, my compassion can draw him out of it. It is no more than what all do suffer, who are possessed of a violent passion; and few lovers ever arrive to the possession of their mistresses, without being several times brought almost to their graves, either by their severity or some other cause. But nothing is more easy than to work a cure in these cases; for the very sight of the person beloved sometimes does it, as it happened to Artamenes, when the divine Mandana condescended to visit him. A few kind words, spoken by the fair princess of Persia to Oroondates, recalled him from the gates of death; and one line from Parisatis’s hand, which brought a command to Lysimachus to live, made him not only resolve, but even able, to obey her—”
Miss Glanville, quite out of patience at this tedious harangue,* without any regard to ceremony, flounced out of the room; and ran to her brother’s chamber, followed by Arabella, who imputed her rude haste to a suspicion that her brother was worse.