Another admirer.

The admirer proves a lover.

Approbation of the marquis.

Other incidents of a like nature occurred, but Arabella had scarce done thinking of these adventures when the marquis communicated a piece of intelligence to her which opened a prospect of an infinite number of new ones.

His nephew, having just returned from his travels, was preparing to come and pay him a visit in his retreat; and, as he always designed to marry Arabella to this youth, of whom he was extremely fond, he told his daughter of the intended visit of her cousin, whom she had not seen since she was eight years old; and for the first time insinuated his design of giving him to her for an husband.

Arabella, whose delicacy was extremely shocked by this abrupt declaration of her father, could hardly hide her chagrin, for though she always intended to marry some time or other, as all the heroines had done, yet she thought such an event ought to be brought about with an infinite deal of trouble; and that it was necessary she should pass to this state through a great number of cares, disappointments, and distresses of various kinds like them; that her lover should purchase her with his sword from a crowd of rivals, and arrive to the possession of her heart by many years of service and fidelity.

The impropriety of receiving a lover of her father's recommending appeared in its strongest light. What lady in romance ever married the man who was chosen for her? In those cases the remonstrances of a parent are called persecutions; obstinate resistance, constancy and courage; and an aptitude to dislike the person proposed to them, a noble freedom of mind which disdains to love or hate by the caprice of others.

Arabella, strengthening her own resolutions by those examples of heroic disobedience, told her father, with great solemnity of accent, that she would always obey him in all just and reasonable things; and being persuaded that he would never attempt to lay any force upon her inclinations, she would endeavor to make them conformable to his, and receive her cousin with that civility and friendship due to so near a relation and a person whom he honored with his esteem. The marquis, having had frequent occasions of admiring his daughter's eloquence, did not draw any unpleasing conclusion from the nice distinctions she made, and being perfectly

assured of her consent whenever he demanded it, expected the arrival of his nephew with great impatience.

Arabella, whose thoughts had been fully employed since this conversation with her father, was indulging her meditations in one of the most retired walks of the garden when she was informed by Lucy that her cousin was come and that the marquis had brought him into the garden to look for her. That instant they both entered the walk, when Arabella, prepossessed as she was against any favorable thoughts of the young Glanville, could not help betraying some surprise at the gracefulness of his figure. "It must be confessed," said she to her attendant with a smile, "that this lover my father has brought us is no contemptible person; nevertheless I feel an invincible repugnance in myself against receiving him in that character."

Mr. Glanville's

As she finished these words the marquis came up and presented Mr. Glanville to her, who, saluting her with the freedom addresses. of a relation, gave her a disgust which showed itself immediately in her fair face, which was overspread with such a gloom that the marquis was quite astonished at it. Indeed, Arabella, who expected he would hardly have presumed to kiss her hand, was so surprised at his freedom in attempting her lips that she not only expressed her indignation by frowns, but gave him to understand he had mortally offended her. Mr. Glanville, however, was neither surprised nor angry at her resentment; but, imputing it to her country education, endeavored to rally her out of her ill humor; and the marquis, being glad to find a behavior which he thought proceeded from a dislike of her cousin was only an effect of an over-scrupulous modesty, told her that Mr. Glanville had committed no offense by saluting her, since that was a civility which was granted to all strangers at a first interview, and therefore could not be refused to a relation.

"Since the world is so degenerated in its customs to what it was formerly," said Arabella with a smile full of contempt upon her cousin, "I am extremely happy to have lived in a solitude which has not yet exposed me to the mortification of being a witness to manners which I cannot approve; for if every person I shall meet with for the future be so deficient in their respect to ladies as my cousin is, I shall not care how much I am excluded from society."

Arabella's reserve.

Custom of the heroines.

"But, dear Lady Bella," interrupted Mr. Glanville gaily, "tell me, I beseech you, how I must behave to please you, for I should be extremely glad to be honored with your good opinion."

"The person," resumed she, "whom I must teach how to acquire my good opinion will, I am afraid, hardly recompense me by his docility in learning for the pains I should be at in instructing him.”

'But,” resumed Glanville, "that I may avoid any more occasions of offending you, only let me know how you would be approached for the future."

'Since," answered she, "there is no necessity to renew the ceremony of introducing you again to me, I have not a second affront of that kind to apprehend; but I pray tell me if all cavaliers are as presuming as yourself; and if a relation of your sex does not think a modest embrace from a lady a welcome sufficiently tender?"

The heroines, though they think a kiss of the hand a great condescension to a man, and never grant it without blushes and confusion, yet make no scruple to embrace him upon every short absence.

"Nay, cousin," cried Glanville eagerly, "I am now persuaded that you are in the right. An embrace is certainly to be preferred to a cold salute. What would I give that the marquis would introduce me a second time, that I might be received with so delightful a welcome!"

The vivacity with which he spoke this was so extremely disagreeable to Arabella that she turned from him abruptly, and, striking into another walk, ordered Lucy to tell him she commanded him not to follow her.

Mr. Glanville, however, who had no notion of the exact obedience which was expected from him, would have gone after her, notwithstanding this prohibition, which Lucy delivered in a most peremptory manner, after her lady's example, but the marquis, who had left the young people to discourse, and had walked on, that he might not interrupt them, turning about and seeing Glanville alone, called him to have some private discourse with him.

In this chapter a lover is severely punished for faults which the reader never would have discovered if he had not been told.

love.

The marquis, having studied his nephew's looks several days, thought he saw inclination enough in them for Arabella Mr. Glanville in to make him receive the knowledge of his intention with joy; he therefore called him into his closet, and told him, in a few words, that, if his heart was not preëngaged and his daughter capable of making him happy, he resolved to bestow her upon him, together with all his estates.

Mr. Glanville received this agreeable news with the strongest expressions of gratitude; assuring his uncle that Lady Bella, of all the women he had ever seen, was most agreeable to his taste; and that he felt for her all the tenderness and affection his soul was capable of.

"I am glad of it, my dear nephew," said the marquis, embracing him; "I will allow you," added he, smiling, "but a few weeks to court her; gain her heart as soon as you can, and when you bring me her consent the marriage shall be solemnized immediately."

Mr. Glanville needed not a repetition of so agreeable a command; he left his uncle's closet with his heart filled with the Interview in the garden. expectation of his approaching happiness, and, understanding Arabella was in the garden, he went to her with the resolution to acquaint her with the permission her father had given him to make his addresses to her.

He found his fair cousin, as usual, accompanied with her women; and, seeing that notwithstanding his approach they still continued to walk with her, and impatient of the restraint they laid him under,

"I beseech you, cousin," said he, "let me have the pleasure of walking with you alone: what necessity is there for always having so many witnesses of our conversation? You may retire," said he, speaking to Lucy and the other woman; "I have something to say to your lady in private."

Stay, I command you,” said Arabella, blushing at an insolence so uncommon, "and take orders from no one but myself. I pray you, sir," pursued she frowning, "what intercourse of secrets is there between you and me, that you expect I should favor you with a private conversation; an advantage which none of your sex ever boasted to have gained from me,

Difference of opinion.

Extraordinary action of Arabella.

and which, haply, you should be the last upon whom I should bestow it?"

"You have the strangest notions," answered Glanville, smiling at the pretty anger she discovered; "certainly you may hold a private conversation with any gentleman without giving offense to decorum: and I may plead a right to this happiness above any other, since I have the honor to be your relation."

"It is not at all surprising," resumed Arabella gravely, "that you and I should differ in opinion upon this occasion: I don't remember that we ever agreed in anything, and I am apt to believe we never shall."

"Ah! don't say so, Lady Bella," interrupted he. "What a prospect of misery you lay before me! for, if we are always to be opposite to each other, it is necessary that you must hate me as much as I admire and love you."

These words, which he accompanied with a gentle pressure of her hand, threw the astonished Arabella into such an excess of anger and shame that for a few moments she was unable to utter a word.

What a horrid violation this of all the laws of gallantry and respect, which decree a lover to suffer whole years in silence before he declares his flame to the divine object that causes it, and then with awful tremblings and submissive prostrations at the feet of the offended fair!

Arabella could hardly believe her senses when she heard a declaration not only made without the usual forms, but also, that the presumptuous criminal waited for an answer without seeming to have any apprehension of the punishment to which he was to be doomed; and that, instead of deprecating her wrath, he looked with a smiling wonder upon her eyes, as if he did not fear their lightning would strike him dead.

Indeed, it was scarcely possible for him to help smiling and wondering, too, at the extraordinary action of Arabella; for as soon as he had pronounced those fatal words she started back two or three steps, cast a look at him full of the highest indignation; and, lifting up her fine eyes to heaven, seemed, in the language of romance, to accuse the gods for subjecting her to so cruel an indignity.

The tumult of her thoughts being a little settled, she turned again toward Glanville, whose countenance expressed nothing