I dare say my cousin is not so rigid, said Arabella: she has too much the spirit of Julia in her, to find fault with a little infidelity.

I am always obliged to you for your comparisons, cousin, said Miss Glanville: I suppose this is greatly to my advantage too.

I assure you, madam, said Sir George, Lady Bella has done you no injury by the comparison she has just now made; for Julia was one of the finest princesses in the world.

Yet she was not free from the suspicion of infidelity, replied Arabella; but though I do not pretend to tax my cousin with that fault, yet it is with a great deal of reason that I say she resembles her in her volatile humour.

I was never thought to be ill-humoured in my life, madam, said Miss Glanville, colouring; and I cannot imagine what reason I have given you for saying I am.

Nay, cousin, said Arabella, I am not condemning your humour; for, to say the truth, there are a great many charms in a volatile disposition; and notwithstanding the admirable beauty of Julia, it is possible she made as many slaves by her light and airy carriage, as she did by her eyes, though they were the fairest in the world, except the divine Cleopatra's.

Cleopatra! cried Sir Charles: why she was a gipsy, was she not?

I never heard her called so, said Arabella, gravely; and I am apt to believe you are not at all acquainted with her. But pray, pursued she, let us wave this discourse at present, and prepare to listen to Sir George's relation of his life: which, I dare say, is full of very extraordinary events. However, sir, added she, directing her speech to the young baronet, I am afraid your modesty will induce you to speak with less candour than you ought, of those great actions, which questionless you have performed: therefore we shall hear your history, with greater satisfaction, from the mouth of your faithful squire, who will not have the same reasons that you have for suppressing what is most admirable in the adventures of your life.

Since it is your pleasure, madam, replied Sir George, to hear my adventures, I will recount them as well as I am able myself, to the end that I may have an opportunity of obliging you by doing some violence to my natural modesty, which will not suffer me to relate things the world have been pleased to speak of to my advantage, without some little confusion.

Then, casting down his eyes, he seemed to be recollecting the most material passages in his life. Mr. Glanville, though he could have wished he had not indulged Arabella in her ridiculous request, was not able to deny himself the diversion of hearing what kind of history he would invent; and therefore resolved to stay and listen to him.