Not at all, interrupted Arabella, whose spirits were raised by recollecting an adventure in a romance similar to this. Mr. Selvin has fallen upon the very same stratagem with Seramenes; who being in love with the beautiful Cleobuline, princess of Corinth, took all imaginable pains to conceal his passion, in order to be near that fair princess; who would have banished him from her presence, had she known he was in love with her. Nay, he went so far in his dissimulation, as to pretend love to one of the ladies of her court; that his passion for the princess might be the less taken notice of. In these cases therefore, the more resolutely a man denies his passion, the more pure and violent it is.
Then Mr. Selvin's passion is certainly very violent, replied Miss Glanville, for he denies it very resolutely; and I believe none but your ladyship would have discovered his artifice. But shall we not open the other letter? I have a strong notion it comes from Tinsel.
For that very reason I would not be acquainted with the contents, replied Arabella. You see Mr. Selvin accuses him of being guilty of that offence which he denies. I shall doubtless meet with a confirmation of his love in that letter. Do not, I beseech you, added she, seeing her cousin preparing to open the letter, expose me to the pain of hearing a presumptuous declaration of love. Nay, pursued she, rising in great emotion, if you are resolved to persecute me by reading it, I'll endeavour to get out of the hearing of it.
You shan't, I declare, said Miss Glanville, laughing and holding her: I'll oblige you to hear it.
I vow, cousin, said Arabella smiling, you use me just as the princess Cleopatra did the fair and wise Antonia. However, if by this you mean to do any kindness to the unfortunate person who wrote that billet, you are greatly mistaken; since, if you oblige me to listen to a declaration of his crime, you will lay me under a necessity to banish him. A sentence he would have avoided, while I remained ignorant of it.
To this Miss Glanville made no other reply than by opening the billet, the contents of which may be found in the following chapter.