Which contains some necessary consequences of the foregoing mistakes. A soliloquy on a love-letter.
While Arabella passed her time in her closet, in the most disagreeable reflections, Glanville was racking his brain to find out the meaning of those mysterious words she had uttered at leaving him. He examined them twenty times over, but could not possibly penetrate into their sense; but supposing at last, that they really meant nothing at all, or were occasioned by some new flight of her imagination, he went to find out his father, in order to know what had passed between him and Arabella.
Sir Charles, however, was not to be found: he had ordered his horse to be made ready, under pretence of taking a little ride after dinner; and, passing by Sir George's house, alighted to pay him a visit.
The young baronet, being at home, received him with great politeness: and Sir Charles, whose peculiar disposition was to be nicely tenacious of every thing which he imagined had any relation to the honour of his family, took the first opportunity to question him concerning the confusion his whisper had occasioned in Lady Bella; adding, that she had confessed he had given her reason to take ill what he had said to her.
Sir George, who was by no means willing to quarrel with the uncle of Arabella, received the old gentleman's remonstrances with a great deal of calmness; and, finding Arabella had not discovered the purport of that whisper which had offended her, he told Sir Charles that the confusion he saw in her countenance was occasioned by his rallying her upon the fright she had been in upon Mr. Glanville's account. He added some other particulars, that, entirely taking away all inclination in Sir Charles to pursue the matter any farther, they parted upon very good terms; Sir George promising, very soon, to return his visit at the castle.
Mr. Glanville, upon his father's return, being impatient to know what he had said to Arabella, enquired with so much precipitation, concerning the conversation they had had together, that Sir Charles, unwilling to tell him the truth, and not having time to consider of an answer, evaded his question in such a manner, that Mr. Glanville could not help making some observation upon it; and, comparing this circumstance with what Arabella had said, though he could not comprehend the meaning that seemed to be concealed under their behaviour, he immediately concluded, there was some mystery which it concerned him to find out.
Possessed with this opinion, he longed for an opportunity to talk with Arabella alone. But he was not so happy to obtain one; for, though that fair-one presided at the tea-table, as usual, and also appeared at supper, yet she so industriously avoided all occasions of being alone with him, though but for a moment, and appeared so reserved and uneasy, that it was impossible for him to speak to her upon that subject.
As soon as it was time to retire, having resolved to request the favour of a few moments' conversation with her, in her own apartment; and when he had, as was his custom, handed her up stairs; instead of wishing her a good night at her chamber door, he was going to desire permission to enter it with her; when Lucy, coming to meet her lady, whispered her in the ear; upon which Arabella, turning towards him, gave him a hasty salute, and hurried into her apartment.
Glanville, no less vexed at this disappointment, than perplexed at that whisper, which had caused such a visible emotion in Arabella, retired to his own room, tormented with a thousand uneasy suspicions, for which he could not exactly assign a cause; and wishing impatiently for the next day, in which he hoped to procure some explanation of what at present greatly perplexed him.