He resolved therefore to give it out that he was gone to London, to make Lady Bella believe it was in obedience to her commands that he had left her, with a purpose not to return till he had cleared his innocence; but, in reality, to conceal himself in his own apartment, and see what effects his reputed absence would produce.
Having thus taken his resolution, he sent for Mr. Roberts, his father's steward, to whose care he had entrusted Lady Bella in her retirement, and acquainting him with part of his apprehensions with regard to Sir George's attempts upon his cousin; he imparted to him his design of staying concealed there, in order to discover more effectually those attempts, and to preserve Lady Bella from any consequence of them.
Mr. Roberts approved of his design; and assured him of his vigilance and care, both in concealing his stay, and also in giving him notice of every thing that passed.
Mr. Glanville then wrote a short billet to Arabella, expressing his grief for her displeasure, his departure in obedience to her orders, and his resolution not to appear in her presence till he could give her convincing proofs of his innocence.
This letter he sent by Roberts, which Arabella condescended to read, but would return no answer.
Mr. Glanville then mounting his horse, which Roberts had ordered to be got ready, rode away, and leaving him at a house he sometimes put up at, returned on foot, and was let in by Mr. Roberts at the garden-door, and conducted unseen to his chamber.
While he passed that night, and great part of the next day, meditating on the treachery of Sir George, and soothing his uneasiness with the hopes of revenge; Arabella, no less disquieted, mused on the infidelity of her lover, the despair of Cynecia, and the impossibility of her ever being happy. Then ransacking her memory for instances in her romances of ladies equally unfortunate with herself, she would sometimes compare herself to one lady, sometimes to another, adapting their sentiments, and making use of their language in her complaints.
Great part of the day being spent in this manner, the uneasy restlessness of her mind made her wish to see Cynecia again. She longed to ask her a hundred questions about the unfaithful Ariamenes, which the suddenness of her departure, and her own astonishment prevented her from doing, when she made that fatal discovery, which had cost her so much uneasiness.
Sometimes a faint hope would arise in her mind that Cynecia might be mistaken, through the great resemblance that possibly was between Ariamenes and Glanville.
She remembered that Mandana had been deceived by the likeness of Cyrus to Spitridates; and concluded that illustrious prince inconstant, because Spitridates, whom she took for Cyrus, saw her carried away without offering to rescue her.