Miss Glanville, who believed not a word Lady Bella had said, burst out a-laughing at a speech that appeared to her so extremely false and ridiculous.
I see, said Arabella, you are of a humour to divert yourself with the miseries of a despairing lover; and in this particular you greatly resemble the fair and witty Doralisa, who always jested at such maladies as are occasioned by love. However, this insensibility does not become you so well as her, since all her conduct was conformable to it, no man in the world being bold enough to talk to her of love; but you, cousin, are ready, even by your own confession, to listen to such discourses from any body; and therefore this behaviour, in you, may be with more justice termed levity, than indifference.
I perceive, cousin, said Miss Glanville, I have always the worst of those comparisons you are pleased to make between me and other people; but, I assure you, as free and indiscreet as you think me, I should very much scruple to visit a man upon any occasion whatever.
I am quite astonished, Miss Glanville, resumed Arabella, to hear you assume a character of so much severity; you who have granted favours of a kind in a very great degree criminal.
Favours! interrupted Miss Glanville, criminal favours! Pray explain yourself, madam.
Yes, cousin, said Arabella, I repeat it again; criminal favours, such as allowing persons to talk to you of love; not forbidding them to write to you; giving them opportunities of being alone with you for several moments together; and several other civilities of the like nature, which no man can possibly merit, under many years' services, fidelity, and pains. All these are criminal favours, and highly blameable in a lady who has any regard for her reputation.
All these, replied Miss Glanville, are nothing in comparison of making them visits; and no woman, who has any reputation at all, will be guilty of taking such liberties.
What, miss! replied Arabella, will you dare, by this insinuation, to cast any censures upon the virtue of the divine Mandana, the haughty Amalazontha, the fair Statira, the cold and rigid Parisatis, and many other illustrious ladies, who did not scruple to visit their lovers, when confined to their beds, either by the wounds they received in battle, or the more cruel and dangerous ones they suffered from their eyes? These chaste ladies, who never granted a kiss of their hand to a lover, till he was upon the point of being their husband, would nevertheless most charitably condescend to approach their bed-side, and speak some compassionate words to them, in order to promote their cure, and make them submit to live; nay, these divine beauties would not refuse to grant the same favour to persons whom they did not love, to prevent the fatal consequences of their despair.
Lord, madam! interrupted Miss Glanville, I wonder you can talk so blasphemously, to call a parcel of confident creatures divine, and such terrible words.
Do you know, miss, said Arabella, with a stern look, that it is of the greatest princesses that ever were, whom you speak in this irreverent manner? Is it possible that you can be ignorant of the sublime quality of Mandana, who was the heiress of two powerful kingdoms? Are you not sensible, that Amalazontha was queen of Turringia? And will you pretend to deny the glorious extraction of Statira and Parisatis, princesses of Persia?