Miss Glanville, however, thought proper to make some trifling excuses to her father for her solicitude about Sir George. And the young baronet, on whom the fear of death produced its usual effects, and made him extremely concerned for the errors of his past life, and very desirous of atoning for them, if possible, assured Sir Charles, that if he lived he would offer himself to his acceptance for a son-in-law; declaring that he had basely trifled with the esteem of his daughter, but that she had wholly subdued him to herself by her forgiving tenderness.
Sir Charles was very desirous of knowing the occasion of his quarrel with his son, but Sir George was too weak to hold any further conversation; upon which Sir Charles, after a short visit retired, taking Miss Glanville along with him.
That the reader, whose imagination is no doubt upon the stretch to conceive the meaning of these two extraordinary incidents, may be left no longer in suspense, we think proper to explain them both in the following chapter, that we may in the next pursue our history without interruption.
[Chapter IX.]
Which will be found to contain information absolutely necessary for the right understanding of this history.
Our fair and afflicted heroine, accompanied by the ladies we have mentioned, having crossed the river, pursued their walk upon its winding banks, entertaining themselves with the usual topics of conversation among young ladies, such as their winnings and losings at brag, the prices of silks, the newest fashions, the best hair-cutter, the scandal at the last assembly, &c.
Arabella was so disgusted with this (as she thought) insipid discourse, which gave no relief to the anxiety of her mind, but added a kind of fretfulness and impatience to her grief, that she resolved to quit them, and with Lucy, go in quest of the princess of Gaul's retreat.
The ladies, however, insisted upon her not leaving them; and her excuse that she was going in search of an unfortunate unknown, for whom she had vowed a friendship, made them all immediately resolve to accompany her, extremely diverted with the oddity of the design, and sacrificing her to their mirth by sly leers, whispers, stifled laughs, and a thousand little sprightly sallies, which the disconsolate Arabella took no notice of, so deeply were her thoughts engaged.