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Capítulo XXXIII
Manifiesta la heroína que tiene conocimientos astronómicos
No faltaba el caballero Jorge a informarse diariamente de la salud de Glanville. Lo visitaba bastante en su convalecencia y se encontraba a menudo con Arabela, que tenía mucha parte en sus visitas.
Conocía las pretensiones de Glanville, sabía las cláusulas del testamento del difunto marqués y se comportaba con mucha retentiva. Consiguió ser atendido de Arabela por medio de un respeto afectado y de expresiones obsequiosas, de que sabía hacer aplicaciones felices... Si se paseaba con ella, observaba que las flores descoloridas y marchitas recobraban sus colores y frescura, y se abrían a su llegada; que el sol multiplicaba sus rayos procurando igualar el resplandor de sus ojos y que Céfiro abandonaba a Flora para acariciar los rizos ondulantes de su pelo, anunciando su felicidad con un suave murmullo. La presencia de Carlota no le estorbaba continuar su proyecto, persuadido a que ella creía otra cosa y, así, engañada su centinela, estaba a su gusto y obsequiaba con libertad.
Solía incomodarle la necesidad de ser siempre del dictamen de Arabela, pero no le faltaban recursos en su imaginación. Cierto día anunció como una novedad la llegada de la dama Groves, diciendo que su viaje tenía el mismo objeto que el del año anterior y se chanceó mucho sobre la familiaridad que había entre ella y el amigo con quien la tenían por casada secretamente. Carlota, muy contenta de tener ocasión de murmurar, añadió mil reflexiones, unas más mordaces que otras, lo que desagradó a Arabela.
—Si estuvieras informada, como yo, prima mía, de la historia de esa desventurada, no lastimarías su reputación con proposiciones tan denigrativas.
—¿Conque no has estado en Londres –replicó Carlota– y crees saber mejor sus aventuras que los testigos de ellas?
—Su misma criada me ha contado todos sus sucesos; debo, pues, conocerla mejor que tú, que nunca has vivido íntimamente con ella... La ultrajas y la defiendo, con que yo soy la que represento mejor papel.
—Pero, ¿pretendes justificar su trato escandaloso con Liwenton?
—¿Escandaloso? La expresión no deja de ser fuerte. La juzgan culpada, pero es posible que no lo esté: su suerte es muy parecida a la de Cleopatra, cuya unión secreta con Julio César todavía se controvierte.
—Ignoro sobre qué fundas que la Groves sea esposa de Liwenton, pero puedo asegurarte que todos (excepto tú) tienen certidumbre de lo contrario. p. 117
—Tengo más medios que se necesitan para sostener lo que digo. La historia está llena de situaciones semejantes a la tuya... Sin duda que no dudáis –continuó hablando con Jorge– que Cleopatra fue verdadera esposa de Julio César y bien sabéis cuánto marchitó los laureles de aquel conquistador el modo indigno con que la trató.
—Nadie –dijo Jorge– se atreve a negar esos dos hechos.
—Y, con todo, ha sido calumniada Cleopatra y ha llegado la indignidad hasta tener por fruto ilegítimo al bizarro Cesarión, quien, bajo el nombre de Cleomedón, hizo tantas valerosas hazañas en Etiopía74.
—Yo he sido siempre admirador de Cleomedón –repuso el caballero– y lo tengo por el hombre más grande que ha existido.
—Decís demasiado, caballero: Cleomedón merece alabanzas, pero así él, como los demás héroes, deben ceder esta cualidad al príncipe de Mauritania, al amante inmortal de la divina Cleopatra, hija de la que acabamos de citar75.
—¡Dios mío! –exclamó Carlota bostezando–. ¿Qué relación tienen todas esas antiguas majaderías con la señora Groves? ¿Yo quisiera saber si el caballero Jorge cree que estuvo jamás casada con Liwenton?
—Sí, lo creo segurísimamente, pues, ¿no está en el mismo caso que Cleopatra? Si Julio Cesar fue tan bajo que negó que fuese su esposa, ¿por qué Liwenton no podrá también ser delincuente de semejante injusticia?
—¡Qué extravagancia! En Londres, todo el mundo se os reiría en los bigotes.
—Pues si llego a ir allá –continuó Arabela– sostendré que se engañaron en el asunto de la Groves y diré abiertamente cuanto sé para probarlo.
—También procurarás persuadir que a los quince años de su edad no intentó escaparse con su maestro de escribir.
—También en eso te equivocas, porque ese maestro de escribir era... En fin, no la robó y, cuando lo hubiera hecho, hubiera quedado ella casi justificada con el ejemplo de Artemisa… Quisiera saber, caballero Jorge, qué pensáis de este rasgo histórico, que ha tenido censores y partidarios.
—Pienso, señora, que los criticadores de lo que hizo la ilustre Artemisa por Alejandro son unos imbéciles, que no saben apreciar las bellas acciones76. Más de dos mil años ha que no existe dicha princesa, pero sacaría yo la espada para defender su virtud contra quien se atreviese a hablar mal de ella en presencia mía.
—Supuesto que sois tan valeroso para defender a los muertos –replicó Carlota soltando una carcajada–, defended la honra de la casta Groves y esforzaos a probar, con la espada en la mano, la inocencia de su trato con Liwenton y la pureza de sus afectos a su maestro de escribir.
—¿Insistes, prima mía, en tu error y no quieres absolutamente ver en el disfraz del fingido maestro una estratagema ingeniosa?
—Si te esfuerzas a persuadirme, prima mía, que la luna es un queso helado, será lo mismo que si te fatigas para convencerme de que ese pillo, de que hablamos, era un señor disfrazado para lograr el corazón de la Groves. p. 118
—Muy extravagante me parece tu ocurrencia sobre la luna: no me cansaría por cierto en discurrir para probar semejante simpleza. Muchas veces he examinado los cuerpos celestes y aún he leído las obras de los grandes hombres que han calculado sus movimientos: la luna es, por lo menos, tan grande como la tercera parte de la tierra y conozco mucho la importancia de los planetas que giran en nuestro universo para que yo...
—Te pido perdón –dijo Carlota riendo a todo reír–, pues si me divierto a tu costa es porque son tan singulares tus nociones... La luna me parece, a lo más, del tamaño de la cara abotargada de tu cocinero y tú me aseguras que es tan grande como el tercio de la tierra: me inclino a creer más a mis ojos que a tus dichos.
—La distancia disminuye los objetos y hay reglas para apreciar exactamente sus distancias y magnitudes. ¿Crees que la extensión grandísima de país que ves por esa ventana no es mayor que el pequeño espacio en que está encuadrada? Pesa esta observación, prima mía, y raciocina mejor…
Dicho esto, se volvió Arabela a Jorge y le dijo:
—Siempre he procurado justificar la fuga de Artemisa con Alejandro y quedo gustosa de que mi modo de pensar esté apoyado con el voto de un sujeto que piensa tan noblemente como vos. Cuando medito en que aquella princesa abandonó el reino de su hermano, no puedo menos de convenir en que tuvieron razón sus enemigos para acusarla de ligereza.
—Pero sus enemigos –replicó Jorge– ¿pusieron sus motivos en la balanza de la equidad? ¿Se tomaron siquiera el trabajo de examinar si tenía algunos que pudieran sincerarla?
—Verdad es que estaba a punto de ver morir a las crueles manos de un infame verdugo a su príncipe amado y debe creerse, a lo menos, que no tomó el partido de la fuga hasta haber empleado, sin éxito, las solicitudes y las lágrimas.
—Por mí –repuso el caballero–, me encolerizo algunas veces contra Cepión, delator de Alejandro77... Pero ¿qué opináis sobre la acción que hizo para lavar su indiscreción? Bien sabéis que, en el momento que iban a ejecutar la sentencia contra el infeliz Alejandro, atravesó por entre una guardia numerosa para llegar al cadalso, que mató al verdugo y que, habiéndole dado una espada al príncipe, se defendieron contra más de dos mil hombres y se escaparon.
—Admirable es la acción: me recreo con imaginarme la rabia del rey de Armenia y conozco cuánta debió ser la violencia de su despecho cuando, después de haber aprisionado segunda* vez a Alejandro, supo que aquel príncipe había roto sus hierros y huido con su hermana.
i Mantengo la forma del original, que no dificulta la comprensión de la frase.
74 Para las hazañas de Cleomedón, nombre que utilizó Cesarión en Etiopía, véase Cléopâtre (III.1 y 2; Dalziel 400).
75 Esta Cleopatra, amante de Coriolano, el príncipe de Mauritania aludido, es hija de la otra Cleopatra, esposa de Julio César; la alusión, tal como se refiere, podría tener un punto de equívoco, ya que, si confudieran a una mujer con la otra, se estaría afirmando que la reina Cleopatra, casada con el emperador romano, tenía a su vez un amante (Coriolano), lo cual iría en contra de lo que nuestra protagonista está defendiendo. De ahí la aclaración de Arabela.
76 La historia de Alejandro y Artemisa se hallará en el capítulo de igual nombre de Cléopâtre IV.1 y 2, en el que, de forma bastante excepcional dentro de las convenciones de este género narrativo, héroe y heroína se escapan juntos (Dalziel 400).
77 Según se relata en Cléopâtre (II.4) Cepión delata a Alejandro durante la estancia de este en la corte armenia, donde tiene esperanzas de renovar el amor que mantuvo en su juventud con Artemisa. Una indiscreción de aquel hace que Artajes le encarcele y amenace con la muerte. Al no poder acceder al original francés he manejado una traducción al inglés, Hymen's Præludia; or, Love's Master-Piece: Being that so Much-Admir’d Romance Intitled, Cleopatra, Part IV, Book ii, Argument (London, 1786), p. 94.
BOOK IV
Chapter I
In which our heroine discovers her knowledge in astronomy.
[211]* Sir George, who had never missed a day, during Mr. Glanville’s illness, in sending to the castle, now he was able to see company, visited him very frequently; and sometimes had the happiness to meet with Arabella in his chamber. But knowing the conditions of her father’s will, and Mr. Glanville’s pretensions, he was obliged to lay so much constraint upon himself, in the presence of Miss Glanville and her brother that he [212] hardly durst trust his eyes to express his admiration of her, for fear of alarming them with any suspicion of his designs. However, he did not fail to recommend himself to her esteem by a behaviour to her full of the most perfect respect; and very often, ere he was aware, uttered some of the extravagant compliments that the gallants in the French romances use to their mistresses.
If he walked with her in the gardens, he would observe that the flowers, which were before languishing and pale, bloomed with fresh beauty at her approach; that the sun shone out with double brightness, to exceed if possible, the lustre of her eyes; and that the wind, fond of kissing her celestial countenance, played with her fair hair; and, by gentle murmurs, declared its happiness.
If Miss Glanville happened to be present, when he talked to her in this strain, she would suppose he was ridiculing her cousin’s fantastical turn; and when she had an opportunity of speaking to him alone, would chide him with a great deal of good humour, for giving her so much diversion at her cousin’s expense.
Sir George, improving this hint, persuaded Miss Glanville by his answers that he really laughed at Arabella; and, being now less fearful of giving any suspicion to the gay coquette, since she assisted him to deceive her, he applied himself with more assiduity than ever to insinuate himself into Arabella’s favour.
However, the necessity he was under of being always of Arabella’s opinion sometimes [213] drew him into little difficulties with Miss Glanville. Knowing that young lady was extremely fond of scandal, he told her, as a most agreeable piece of news, one afternoon when he was there that he had seen Miss Groves, who, he supposed, had come into the country upon the same account as she had done a twelvemonth before. Her marriage being yet a secret, the complaisant baronet threw out a hint or two concerning the familiarity and correspondence there was between her and the gentleman to whom she was really secretly married.
Miss Glanville, making the most of this intelligence, said a thousand severe things against the unfortunate Miss Groves, which Arabella, always benevolent and kind, could not bear.
“I persuade myself,” said she to her cousin, “that you have been misinformed concerning this beauty, whose misfortunes you aggravate by your cruel censures; and whoever has given you the history of her life has, haply, done it with great injustice—”p. 148
“Why, madam,” interrupted Miss Glanville, “do you think you are better acquainted with her history, as you call it, who have never been in town, where her follies made her so remarkable, than persons who were eyewitnesses of all her ridiculous actions?”
“I apprehend,” said Arabella, “that I who have had a relation made to me of all the passages of her life, and have been told all her most secret thoughts, may know as much, if not more than persons who have lived in the same place with her, and have not had that advantage, [214] and I think I know enough to vindicate her from many cruel aspersions.”
“Pray, madam,” returned Miss Glanville, “will your ladyship pretend to defend her scandalous commerce with Mr. L…?”
“I know not, miss,” said Arabella, “why you call her intercourse with that perjured man by so unjust an epithet. If Miss Groves be unchaste, so was the renowned Cleopatra, whose marriage with Julius Cæsar is controverted to this day.”
“And what reasons, madam,” said Miss Glanville, “have you for supposing Miss Groves was married to Mr. L…, since all the world knows to the contrary?”
“Very sufficient ones,” said Arabella, “since it is hardly possible to suppose a young lady of Miss Groves’s quality would stain the lustre of her descent by so shameful an intrigue; and also since there are examples enough to be found of persons who suffered under the same unhappy circumstances as herself; yet were perfectly innocent, as was that great queen I have mentioned, who questionless, you, sir, are sufficiently convinced, was married to that illustrious conqueror, who, by betraying so great and so fair a queen, in great measure tarnished the glory of his laurels—”
“Married, madam!” replied Sir George. “Who presumes to say that fair queen was not married to that illustrious conqueror?”
“Nay, you know, sir,” interrupted Arabella, “many people did say, even while she was living, that she was not married; and have branded her memory with infamous calumnies, upon account of the son she had by Cæsar, the brave [215] Cæsario, who, under the name of Cleomedon, performed such miracles of valour in Ethiopia.”
“I assure you, madam,” said Sir George, “I was always a great admirer of the famous Cleomedon, who was certainly the greatest hero in the world.”
“Pardon me, sir,” said Arabella, “Cleomedon was, questionless, a very valiant man; but he, and all the heroes that ever were, must give place to the unequalled prince of Mauritania, that illustrious, and for a long time unfortunate, lover of the divine Cleopatra, who was daughter, as you questionless know, of the great queen we have been speaking of—”
“Dear heart!” said Miss Glanville. “What is all this to the purpose? I would fain know, whether Sir George believes Miss Groves was ever married to Mr. L….”p. 149
“Doubtless, I do,” said he. “For, as Lady Bella says, she is in the same unhappy circumstance with the great Cleopatra, and if Julius Cæsar could be guilty of denying his marriage with that queen, I see no reason to suppose why Mr. L… might not be guilty of the same kind of injustice.”
“So then,” interrupted Miss Glanville, reddening* with spite, “you will really offer to maintain that Miss Groves was married? Ridiculous! How such a report would be laughed at in London!”
“I assure you,” replied Arabella, “if ever I go to London, I shall not scruple to maintain that opinion to everyone, who will mention that fair one to me, and use all my endeavours to confirm them in it.”
[216] “Your ladyship would do well,” said Miss Glanville, “to persuade people that Miss Groves, at fifteen, did not want to run away with her writing master.”
“As I am persuaded myself,” said Arabella, “that writing master was some noble stranger in disguise, who was passionately in love with her, I shall not suffer anybody in my hearing to propagate such an unlikely story; but since he was a person worthy of her affection, if she had run away with him, her fault was not without example, or even excuse. You know what the fair Artemisia did for Alexander, sir,” pursued she, turning to Sir George. “I would fain know your sentiments upon the action of that princess, which some have not scrupled to condemn—”
“Whoever they are, Madam,” said Sir George, “who condemn the fair Artemisa for what she did for Alexander are miscreants and slanderers; and though that beautiful princess has been dead more than two thousand years, I would draw my sword in defence of her character, against all who should presume, in my presence, to cast any censures upon it.”
“Since you are so courageous,” said Miss Glanville, laughing excessively at this sally, which she thought was to ridicule her cousin, “it is to be hoped you will defend a living lady’s character, who may thank you for it; and make the world believe that her correspondence with Mr. L… was entirely innocent; and that she never had any design to run away with her writing master.”
[217] “Are you resolved, cousin,” said Lady Bella, “to persist in that ridiculous mistake, and take a nobleman for a writing master only because his love put him upon such a stratagem to obtain his mistress?”
“Indeed, Lady Bella,” said Miss Glanville, smiling, “you may as well persuade me the moon is made of a cream cheese, as that any nobleman turned himself into a writing master, to obtain Miss Groves—”
“Is it possible, miss,” said Arabella, “that you can offer such an affront to my understanding, as to suppose I would argue upon such a ridiculous system, and compare the second glorious luminary of the heavens to so unworthy a resemblance? I have taken some pains to contemplate the heavenly bodies; and, by reading and observation, am able to comprehend some part of their excellence. Therefore, it is not probable I should descend to such trivial comparisons; and liken a planet, which, haply, is not much less than our earth, to a thing so inconsiderable as that you name—”p. 150
“Pardon me, dear cousin,” interrupted Miss Glanville, laughing louder than before, “if I divert myself a little with the extravagance of your notions. Really, I think you have no reason to be angry if I supposed you might make a comparison between the moon and a cream cheese, since you say that same moon, which don’t appear broader than your gardener’s face, is not much less than the whole world. Why, certainly, I have more reason to trust my own eyes than such whimsical notions as these.”
[218] Arabella, unwilling to expose her cousin’s ignorance by a longer dispute upon this subject, begged her to let it drop for the present, and, turning to Sir George:
“I am very glad,” said she, “that having always had some inclination to excuse, and even defend, the flight of Artemisa with Alexander, my opinion is warranted by that of a person so generous as yourself. Indeed, when we consider that this princess forsook her brother’s dominions, and fled away with a lover whom she did not hate. Questionless her enemies accuse her, with some appearance of reason, of too great imbecility.”
“But, madam,” replied Sir George, “her enemies will not take the pains to examine her reasons for this conduct—”
“True, sir,” resumed Arabella, “for she was in danger of seeing a prince, who loved her, put to a cruel and infamous death upon a public scaffold; and she did not resolve to fly with him till all her tears and prayers were found ineffectual to move the king her brother to mercy.”
“Though,” replied Sir George, “I am extremely angry with the indiscreet Cepio, who discovered Alexander to the Armenian king, yet what does your ladyship think of that gallant action of his, when he saw him upon the scaffold, and the executioner ready to cut off his head? How brave it was of him to pass undauntedly through the prodigious number of guards that environed the scaffold; and, with his drawn sword, run the executioner through the body, in the sight of them all! Then giving the prince another [219] sword, engage more than two thousand men in his defence!”
“Questionless,” replied Arabella, “it was a glorious action; and when I think how the king of Armenia was enraged to see such a multitude of soldiers fly from the swords of two men, I cannot choose but divert myself with the consternation he was in. Yet that was nothing to the horrible despair which tormented him afterwards, when he found that Alexander, after being again taken and imprisoned, had broken his chains, and carried away with him the Princess Artemisia his sister.”