Chapter VII
Containing indeed no great matters, but being a prelude to greater.

Mr. Glanville, who stood fixed like a statue in the place where Arabella had left him, was roused by this message, which though palliated [278] a little by the girl that delivered it, who was not quite so punctual as Lucy, nevertheless filled him with extreme confusion. He obeyed however immediately, and retiring to his own apartment, endeavoured to recall to his memory all Lady Bella had said.

The ambiguity of her style, which had led him into a suspicion he had never entertained before, her last words had partly explained, if as he understood she did, she meant him by Ariamenes. Taking this for granted, he easily conceived some plot grounded on her romantic notions had been laid to prepossess her against him.

Sir George’s behaviour to her rushed that moment into his thoughts: he instantly recollected all his fooleries, his history, his letter, his conversation, all apparently copied from those books she was so fond of and probably done with a view to some other design upon her.

These reflections, joined to his new-awakened^* suspicions that he was in love with her, convinced him he was the author of their present misunderstanding; and that he had imposed some new fallacy upon Arabella in order to promote a quarrel between them.

Fired almost to madness at this thought, he stamped about his room, vowing revenge upon Sir George, execrating romances, and cursing his own stupidity for not discovering Sir George was his rival, and knowing his plotting talent, not providing against his artifices.

His first resolutions were to set out immediately for Sir George’s seat and force him to confess the part he had acted against him. But a [279] moment’s consideration convinced him that was not the most probable place to find him in, since it was much more likely he was waiting the success of his schemes in London, or perhaps at Richmond.

Next to satiating his vengeance, the pleasure of detecting him in such a manner that he could not possibly deny or palliate his guilt was next his heart.

He resolved therefore to give it out that he was gone to London to make Lady Bella believe it was in obedience to her commands that he had left her, with a purpose not to return till he had cleared his innocence, but in reality to conceal himself in his own apartment, and see what effects his reputed absence would produce.

Having thus taken his resolution, he sent for Mr. Roberts, his father’s steward, to whose care he had entrusted Lady Bella in her retirement, and acquainting him with part of his apprehensions with regard to Sir George’s attempts upon his cousin, he imparted to him his design of staying concealed there, in order to discover more effectually those attempts, and to preserve Lady Bella from any consequence of them.

Mr. Roberts approved of his design; and assured him of his vigilance and care, both in concealing his stay and also in giving him notice of everything that passed.

Mr. Glanville then wrote a short billet to Arabella, expressing his grief for her displeasure, his departure in obedience to her orders, and his resolution not to appear in her presence [280] till he could give her convincing proofs of his innocence. This letter he sent by Roberts, which Arabella condescended to read, but would return no answer.p. 322

Mr. Glanville then mounting his horse, which Roberts had ordered to be got ready, rode away, and leaving him at a house he sometimes put up at, returned on foot, and was let in by Mr. Roberts at the garden door and conducted unseen to his chamber.

While he passed that night, and great part of the next day, meditating on the treachery of Sir George and soothing his uneasiness with the hopes of revenge, Arabella, no less disquieted, mused on the infidelity of her lover, the despair of Cynecia, and the impossibility of her ever being happy. Then ransacking her memory for instances in her romances of ladies equally unfortunate with herself, she would sometimes compare herself to one lady, sometimes to another, adapting their sentiments and making use of their language in her complaints.

Great part of the day being spent in this manner, the uneasy restlessness of her mind made her wish to see Cynecia again. She longed to ask her a hundred questions about the unfaithful Ariamenes, which the suddenness of her departure and her own astonishment prevented her from doing when she made that fatal discovery, which had cost her so much uneasiness.

Sometimes a faint hope would arise in her mind that Cynecia might be mistaken, through the great resemblance that possibly was between Ariamenes and Glanville.

[281] She remembered that Mandana had been deceived by the likeness of Cyrus to Spitridates; and concluded that illustrious prince inconstant, because Spitridates, whom she took for Cyrus, saw her carried away, without offering to rescue her.

Dwelling with eagerness upon this thought, because it afforded her a temporary relief from others more tormenting, she resolved to go to the park, though she had but little hopes of finding Cynecia there, supposing it but too probable that the disturbance which the sight, or fancied sight, of Ariamenes had given her would confine her for some days to her chamber. Yet however small the probability was of meeting with her, she could not resist the impatient desire she felt of going to seek her.

Dispensing therefore with the attendance of any other servant but Lucy, she left her apartment with a design of resuming her usual walk when she was met, at her stepping out of the door, by Lady L…’s three daughters—who had visited her during her residence at Richmond—, and another young lady.

These ladies, who, to vary the scene of their rural diversions, were going to cross over to Twickenham and walk there, pressed Lady Bella to accompany them. Our melancholy heroine refused them at first, but upon their repeated importunity, recollecting that the princess of Gaul had informed her she resided there, she consented to go, in hopes some favourable chance might bring her in their way, or discover the place of her retreat, when she could easily find some excuse for leaving her companions, and going to her.

[282] Mr. Roberts, who according to his instructions narrowly watched Arabella’s motions, finding she did not command his attendance as usual, resolved however to be privately of this party. He had but just time to run up and acquaint Mr. Glanville, and then followed the ladies at a distance, who, taking boat, passed over to Twickenham, which he also did as soon as he saw them landed.