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Capítulo XVI
Incidentes extraordinarios
Impaciente estaba Glanville aguardando a Roberto. Habíase ya puesto el sol. Una de sus ventanas daba al parque y en ella contaba los momentos y empezaba a inquietarse sobre lo que podría haber sucedido a Arabela, cuando le pareció que la divisaba en uno de los paseos, cubierta con su velo. Un instante después salió Belmur de entre unos árboles y se la echó a los pies. Arrebatado por la cólera Glanville, tomó su espada y corrió al paraje donde estaban. La tapada con el velo fue quien primero lo alcanzó a ver, pidió auxilio y se pasó al mismo paraje de donde había salido Belmur. Glanville, sin consideración al lugar ni a la presencia de su prima, dijo a Belmur que se defendiera y, arrojándose a él, lo pasó de una estocada.
Disipose la cólera de Glanville al ver a su competidor herido; tiró la espada, lo sostuvo y le suministró cuantos socorros pudo. La que había huido vino a ellos y se halló, con pasmo de Glanville, que era Carlota. Penetrado de doloroso arrepentimiento, miró a su hermana y la hizo vivísimas reconvenciones. Jorge Belmur tenía aun bastantes fuerzas y no miró con indiferencia lo que pasaba a su inmediación, y así, pesaroso de la inquietud de Glanville y agradecido al generoso cuidado con que lo trataba, le dijo:
—Querido Glanville, sois sobradamente bueno: he obrado mal con vos y merecido morir a vuestra mano; si vivo lo preciso para destruir las consecuencias del golpe que os he dado, nada se me dará de no vivir. p. 231
Desmayose entre los brazos de Glanville. Carlota no estaba capaz de socorrerlo y crecieron sus gritos y lágrimas cuando vio a su amante sin conocimiento. Iba Glanville a buscar a un cirujano a tiempo que se encontró con Roberto, quien le notició que la vida de Arabela estaba en el mayor peligro, que la habían llevado a su casa sin sentido y que continuaba en el mismo mal estado. Aunque se alteró hasta lo sumo Glanville, no por eso desatendió a Belmur: reveló a Roberto lo que acababa de pasar, le dio órdenes convenientes y voló a la habitación de Arabela. Acababan de acostarla sus mujeres. Arrimose Glanville a ella y la encontró con una calentura formidable. Envió a buscar médicos a Londres y dio parte a su padre del peligro que la amenazaba. Cumplió fielmente Roberto con las órdenes de Glanville y le advirtió que los cirujanos no graduaban de mortal la herida de Belmur, pero como el corazón de aquel hombre amable estaba tan combatido, no pudo entregarse a la alegría. Quedose en la antecámara de Arabela, aguardando con impaciencia suma la llegada de su padre y de los médicos. Llegaron. Glanville los acompañó a la alcoba de su prima y juzgó, por sus gesticulaciones y palabras ambiguas, que la deshauciaban. No obstante, le dieron algunas flojas esperanzas y aconsejaron que la dejasen sola, porque necesitaba de reposo. Mientras los médicos estaban ocupados con Arabela, contó Roberto al barón el desafío de su hijo. El pobre viejo, acometido de dos acaecimientos tan fulminantes, no podía volver en sí, pero se esforzó a consolar a su hijo con tiernas expresiones y, después, pasó a casa de Belmur, donde vio a su hija llorosa y consternada. Esta, poco cuidadosa de su prima, solo la había acompañado el tiempo preciso que se tardó en curar las heridas a su amante. Belmur, asombrado con la cercanía de la muerte, le tomó una mano al barón, hizo una confesión sincera de sus faltas y le aseguró de que si deseaba vivir era solo para que le dispensase la honra de ser su yerno. Deseaba mucho el barón saber el origen de la querella, pero, por justo miramiento, no hizo pregunta alguna. Hecha, pues, una corta visita, dejó a Belmur descansar e hizo una seña a su hija para que lo siguiera.
Sin duda que el lector no caerá fácilmente en cómo Belmur y Carlota se encontraron juntos en el parque, y por qué accidente cayó Arabela tan inesperadamente enferma. Esto es lo que se aclarará en el capítulo siguiente.
Chapter VIII
Which acquaints the reader with two very extraordinary accidents.
Mr. Glanville, who did not doubt but Roberts would bring him some intelligence,* sat waiting with anxious impatience for his return. The evening drew on apace, he numbered the hours, and began to grow uneasy at Arabella’s long stay. His chamber window looking into the garden, he thought he saw his cousin, covered with her veil as usual, hasten down one of the walks; his heart leaped at this transient view, he threw up the sash, and looking out, saw her very plainly strike into a cross walk, and a moment after saw Sir George, who came out of a little summer house, at her feet. Transported with rage at this sight, he snatched up his sword, flew down the stairs into the garden, and came running like a madman up the walk in which the lovers were. The lady observing him first, for Sir George’s back was towards [283] him, shrieked aloud, and not knowing what she did, ran towards the house crying for help, and came back as fast, yet not time enough to prevent mischief. For Mr. Glanville, actuated* by an irresistible fury, cried out to Sir George to defend himself, who had but just time to draw his sword and make an ineffectual pass at Mr. Glanville, when he received his into his body, and fell to the ground.
Mr. Glanville, losing his resentment insensibly at the sight of his rival’s blood, threw down his sword, and endeavoured to support him, while the lady, who had lost her veil in her running and, to the great astonishment of Mr. Glanville, proved to be his sister, came up to them, with tears and exclamations, blaming herself for all that had happened. Mr. Glanville, with a heart throbbing with remorse for what he had done, gazed on his sister with an accusing look, as she hung over the wounded baronet with streaming eyes, sometimes wringing her hands, then clasping them together in an agony of grief.
Sir George having strength enough left to observe her disorder and the generous concern of Glanville, who, holding him in his arms, entreated his sister to send for proper assistance:
“Dear Charles,” said he, “you are too kind, I have used you very ill, I have deserved my death from your hand—You know not what I have been base enough to practise against you—If I can but live to clear your innocence to Lady Bella, and free you from the consequences of this action, I shall die satisfied—”
[284] His strength failing him at these words, he fainted away in Mr. Glanville’s arms, who though now convinced of his treachery, was extremely shocked at the condition he saw him in.p. 324
Miss Glanville renewing her tears and exclamations at this sight, he was obliged to lay Sir George gently upon the ground, and ran to find out somebody to send for a surgeon, and to help him to convey him into the house.
In his way he was met by Mr. Roberts, who was coming to seek him; and with a look of terror and confusion told him Lady Bella was brought home extremely ill, that her life had been in danger, and that she was but just recovered from a terrible fainting fit.
Mr. Glanville, though greatly alarmed at this news, forgot not to take all possible care of Sir George, directing Roberts to get some person to carry him into the house, and giving him orders to procure proper assistance, flew to Lady Bella’s apartment.
Her women had just put her to bed raving as in a strong delirium. Mr. Glanville approached her, and finding she was in a violent fever, dispatched a man and horse immediately to town to get physicians, and to acquaint his father with what had happened.
Mr. Roberts, upon the surgeon’s report that Sir George was not mortally wounded, came to inform him of this good news, but he found him incapable of listening to him, and in agonies not to be expressed. It was with difficulty they forced him out of Arabella’s chamber into his own, where throwing himself upon his bed, he refused to see or speak to anybody till [285] he was told Sir Charles and the physicians were arrived.
He then ran eagerly to hear their opinions of his beloved cousin, which he soon discovered, by their significant gestures and half-pronounced words, to be very bad. They comforted him however with hopes that she might recover, and insisting upon her being kept very quiet, obliged him to quit the room. While all the necessary methods were taken to abate the violence of the disease, Sir Charles, who had been informed by his steward of his son’s duel with Sir George, was amazed to the last degree at two such terrible accidents.
Having seen his son to his chamber and recommended him to be patient and composed, he went to visit the young baronet and was not a little surprised to find his daughter sitting at his bed’s head, with all the appearance of a violent affliction.
Indeed Miss Glanville’s cares were so wholly engrossed by Sir George that she hardly ever thought of her cousin Arabella, and had just stepped into her chamber while the surgeons were dressing Sir George’s wound, and renewed her attendance upon him as soon as that was over.
Miss Glanville, however, thought proper to make some trifling excuses to her father for her solicitude about Sir George. And the young baronet, on whom the fear of death produced its usual effects, and made him extremely concerned for the errors of his past life, and very desirous of atoning for them, if possible, assured Sir Charles that if he lived, he [286] would offer himself to his acceptance for a son-in-law, declaring that he had basely trifled with the esteem of his daughter, but that she had wholly subdued him to herself by her forgiving tenderness.
Sir Charles was very desirous of knowing the occasion of his quarrel with his son, but Sir George was too weak to hold any further conversation, upon which Sir Charles, after a short visit, retired, taking Miss Glanville along with him.
That the reader, whose imagination is no doubt upon the stretch to conceive the meaning of these two extraordinary incidents, may be left no longer in suspense, we think proper to explain them both in the following chapter that we may in the next pursue our history without interruption.