First, said she, you must relate my birth, which you know is very illustrious; and because I am willing to spare you the trouble of repeating things that are not absolutely necessary, you must apologize to your hearers for slipping over what passed in my infancy, and the first eight or ten years of my life; not failing, however, to remark, that, from some sprightly sallies of imagination, at those early years, those about me conceived marvellous hopes of my future understanding: from thence you must proceed to an accurate description of my person.
What, madam! interrupted Lucy, must I tell what sort of person you have, to people who have seen you but a moment ago?
Questionless you must, replied Arabella; and herein you follow the examples of all the squires and maids who relate their masters' and ladies' histories: for though it be to a brother, or near relation, who has seen them a thousand times, yet they never omit an exact account of their persons.
Very well, madam, said Lucy: I shall be sure not to forget that part of my story. I wish I was as perfect in all the rest.
Then, Lucy, you must repeat all the conversations I have ever held with you upon the subjects of love and gallantry, that your audience may be so well acquainted with my humour, as to know exactly, before they are told, how I shall behave, in whatever adventures befall me.—After that, you may proceed to tell them how a noble unknown saw me at church; how prodigiously he was struck with my appearance; the tumultuous thoughts that this first view of me occasioned in his mind.—
Indeed, madam, interrupted Lucy again, I can't pretend to tell his thoughts: for how should I know what they were? None but himself can tell that.
However that may be, said Arabella, I expect you should decypher all his thoughts as plainly as he himself could do; otherwise my history will be very imperfect. Well, I suppose you are at no loss about that whole adventure, in which you yourself bore so great a share; so I need not give you any further instructions concerning it: only you must be sure, as I said before, not to omit the least circumstance in my behaviour, but relate every thing I did, said, and thought, upon that occasion. The disguised gardener must appear next in your story: here you will of necessity be a little deficient, since you are not able to acquaint your hearers with his true name and quality; which, questionless, is very illustrious. However, above all, I must charge you not to mention that egregious mistake about the carp; for you know how—
Here Miss Glanville's entrance put a stop to the instructions Lucy was receiving: for she told Arabella that Sir George was gone.
How! returned she, is he gone? Truly I am not much obliged to him for the indifference he has showed to hear my story.
Why, really, madam, said Miss Glanville, neither of us expected you would be as good as your word, you were so long in sending your woman down: and my brother persuaded Sir George you were only in jest; and Sir George has carried him home to dinner.