“Fleetwood! I can tell you this, Arabella: there is no use in your setting your cap at him, for all the world knows that he must marry money!”
“I hope, ma’am,” cried Arabella, flaring up, “that you do not mean to suggest that I should set my cap at Mr. Beaumaris, for nothing would prevail upon me to do so!”
“My love,” responded Lady Bridlington frankly, “it would be quite useless for you to do so! Robert Beaumaris may have his pick of all the beauties in England, I daresay! And, what is more, he is the most accomplished flirt in London! But I do most earnestly implore you not to set him against you by treating him with the least incivility! You may think him what you please, but, believe me, Arabella, he could rain your whole career—and mine, too, if it came to that!” she added feelingly.
Arabella propped her chin in her hand, pondering an agreeable thought. “Or he could make everything easy for me, ma’am?” she enquired.
“Of course he could—if he chose to do it! He is the most unpredictable creature! It might amuse him to make you the rage of town—or he might take it into his head to say you were not quite in his style—and if once he says that, my dear, what man will look twice at you, unless he has already fallen in love with you, which, after all, we cannot expect?”
“My dear ma’am,” said Arabella, in dulcet accents, “I hope I should not be so ill-bred as to be uncivil to anyone —even Mr. Beaumaris!”
“Well, my dear, I hope not, indeed!” said her ladyship doubtfully.
“I promise I will not be in the least degree uncivil to Mr. Beaumaris. if he should come to your party,” said Arabella.
“I am happy to hear you say so, my love, but ten to one he won’t come,” responded her ladyship pessimistically.
“He said to me at parting that he hoped to have the pleasure of calling on me in town before many days,” said Arabella disinterestedly.