Our lovely heroine had not been above a fortnight in London, before the gross air of that smoky town affected her health so much, that Sir Charles proposed to her to go for a few weeks to Richmond, where he hired a house elegantly furnished for her reception.
Miss Glanville had been too long out of that darling city to pay her the compliment of attending her constantly at Richmond; yet she promised to be as often as possible with her: and Sir Charles, having affairs that could not dispense with his absence from town, placed his steward in her house, being a person whose prudence and fidelity he could rely upon; and he, with her women, and some other menial servants, made up her equipage.
As it was not consistent with decorum for Mr. Glanville to reside in her house, he contented himself with riding to Richmond generally every day; and as long as Arabella was pleased with that retirement, he resolved not to press her return to town till the Countess of —— arrived, in whose conversation he grounded all his hopes of her cure.
At that season of the year, Richmond not being quite deserted by company, Arabella was visited by several ladies of fashion; who, charmed with her affability, politeness, and good sense, were strangely perplexed how to account for some peculiarities in her dress and manner of thinking.
Some of the younger sort, from whom Arabella's extraordinary beauty took away all pretensions to equality on that score, made themselves extremely merry with her oddnesses, as they called them, and gave broad intimations that her head was not right.
As for Arabella, whose taste was as delicate, sentiments as refined, and judgment as clear as any person's could be who believed the authenticity of Scudery's romances, she was strangely disappointed to find no lady with whom she could converse with any tolerable pleasure; and that instead of Clelias, Statiras, Mandanas, &c. she found only Miss Glanvilles among all she knew.
The comparison she drew between such as these and the charming Countess of ——, whom she had just begun to be acquainted with at Bath, increased her regret for the interruption that was given to so agreeable a friendship; and it was with infinite pleasure Mr. Glanville heard her repeatedly wish for the arrival of that admirable lady (as she always called her) in town.
Not being able to relish the insipid conversation of the young ladies that visited her at Richmond, her chief amusement was to walk in the park there; which, because of its rural privacy, was extremely agreeable to her inclinations.
Here she indulged contemplation, leaning on the arm of her faithful Lucy, while her other women walked at some distance behind her, and two men servants kept her always in sight.
One evening when she was returning from her usual walk, she heard the sound of a woman's voice, which seemed to proceed from a tuft of trees that hid her from her view. And stopping a moment, distinguished some plaintive accents, which increasing her curiosity, she advanced towards the place, telling Lucy she was resolved if possible to discover who the distressed lady was, and what was the subject of her affliction.