Mr. Glanville, who had not seen her for some days, expected her waking with great impatience; and pleased himself with describing her, with a lover's fondness, to his father, when the sound of her voice in the next room interrupted him.
[Chapter III.]
Which treats of a consolatory visit, and other grave matters.
Arabella, being then awaked from her slumber, was indulging her grief by complaints, which her women were so used to hear, that they never offered to disturb her. Merciless fate! said she, in the most moving tone imaginable; cruel destiny! that, not contented with having deprived my infancy of the soft cares and tender indulgences of a mother's fondness, has robbed me of the only parent I had left, and exposed me, at these early years, to the grief of losing him who was not only my father, but my friend, and protector of my youth!
Then, pausing a moment, she renewed her complaints with a deep sigh: Dear relics of the best of fathers! pursued she, why was it not permitted me to bathe you with my tears? Why were those sacred remains of him, from whom I drew my life, snatched from my eyes, ere they had poured their tribute of sorrow over them? Ah! pitiless women! said she to her attendants, you prevented me from performing the last pious rites to my dear father! You, by your cruel care, hindered me from easing my sad heart, by paying him the last duties he could receive from me! Pardon, O dear and sacred shade of my loved father! pardon this unwilling neglect of thy afflicted child, who, to the last moment of her wretched life, will bewail thy loss!
Here she ceased speaking; and Mr. Glanville, whom this soliloquy had much less confounded than his father, was preparing to go in, and comfort her; when the old gentleman stopping him with a look of great concern: My niece is certainly much worse than we apprehend, said he. She is in a delirium: our presence may, perhaps, discompose her too much.
No, Sir, replied Glanville, extremely confused at this suspicion; my cousin is not so bad as you suppose: it is common enough for people in any great affliction to ease themselves by complaints.
But these, replied the knight, are the strangest complaints I ever heard, and savour so much of frenzy, that I am persuaded her head is not quite right.