Chapter I.

_In which is related an admirable adventure._

Miss Glanville, whose spirits were greatly exhilarated at their entrance into London, that seat of magnificence and pleasure, congratulated her cousin upon the entertainment she would receive from the new and surprising objects which every day for a considerable time would furnish her with; and ran over the catalogue of diversions with such a volubility of tongue, as drew a gentle reprimand from her father, and made her keep a sullen silence till they were set down in St. James's Square, the place of their residence in town.

Sir Charles having ordered his late lady's apartment to be prepared for the accommodation of his niece; as soon as the first civilities were over, she retired to her chamber where she employed herself in giving her women directions for placing her books, of which she had brought a moderate quantity to London, in her closet.

Miss Glanville as soon as she had dispatched away some hundred cards to her acquaintance, to give them notice she was in town, attended Arabella in her own apartment; and as they sat at the tea she began to regulate the diversions of the week, naming the Drawing-Room, Park, Concert, Ranelagh, Lady ----'s Assembly, the Duchess of ----'s Rout, Vauxhall, and a long &c. of visits; at which Arabella, with an accent that expressed her surprise, asked her, if she supposed she intended to stay in town three or four years.

Law, cousin, said Miss Glanville, all this is but the amusement of a few days.

Amusement, do you say? replied Arabella: methinks it seems to be the sole employment of those days; and what you call the amusement, must of necessity be the business of life.

You are always so grave, cousin, said Miss Glanville, one does not know what to say to you. However, I shan't press you to go to public places against your inclination, yet you'll condescend to receive a few visits, I suppose?

Yes, replied Arabella, and if among the ladies whom I shall see, I find any like the amiable Countess of ----, I shall not scruple to enter into the most tender amity with them.

The Countess of ---- is very well, to be sure, said Miss Glanville; yet I don't know how it is, she does not suit my taste--She is very particular in a great many things, and knows too much for a lady, as I heard my Lord Fribble say one day. Then she is quite unfashionable: she hates cards, keeps no assembly, is seen but seldom at public places; and in my opinion, as well as in a great many others, is the dullest company in the world. I'm sure I met her at a visit a little before I went down to your seat; and she had not been a quarter of an hour in the room, before she set a whole circle of ladies a-yawning.

Arabella, though she had a sincere contempt for her cousin's manner of thinking, yet always politely concealed it; and vexed as she was at her sneers upon the countess, she contented herself with gently defending her, telling her at the same time, that till she met with a lady who had more merit than the countess, she should always possess the first place in her esteem.

Arabella, who had from youth adopted the resentments of her father, refused to make her appearance at court, which Sir Charles gently intimated to her; yet being not wholly divested of the curiosity natural to her sex, she condescended to go _incog._ to the gallery on a ball night, accompanied by Mr. Glanville and his sister, in order to behold the splendour of the British Court.

As her romances had long familiarised her thoughts to objects of grandeur and magnificence, she was not so much struck as might have been expected with those that now presented themselves to her view. Nor was she a little disappointed to find that among the men she saw none whose appearance came up to her ideas of the air and port of an Artaban, Oroondates, or Juba; or any of the ladies, who did not in her opinion, fall short of the perfections of Elisa, Mandana, Statira, &c. It was remarkable too, that she never enquired how often the princesses had been carried away by love-captivated monarchs, or how many victories the king's sons had gained; but seemed the whole time she was there to have suspended all her romantic ideas of glory, beauty, gallantry, and love.

Mr. Glanville was highly pleased with her composed behaviour, and a day or two after entreated her to allow him the honour of showing her what was remarkable and worthy of her observation in this great metropolis. To this she also consented, and for the greater privacy began their travels in a hired coach.

Part of several days were taken up in this employment; but Mr. Glanville had the mortification to find she was full of allusions to her romances upon every occasion; such as her asking the person who shows the armoury at the Tower, the names of the knights to whom each suit belonged, and wondering there were no devices on the shields or plumes of feathers in the helmets. She observed that the lion Lysimachus killed, was, according to the history of that prince, much larger than any of those she was showed in the Tower, and also much fiercer; took notice that St. Paul's was less magnificent in the inside, than the temple in which Cyrus, when he went to Mandana, heard her return thanks for his supposed death; enquired if it was not customary for the king and his whole court to sail in barges upon the Thames, as Augustus used to do upon the Tyber; whether they had not music and collations in the Park; and where they celebrated the justs and tournaments.

The season for Vauxhall being not yet over, she was desirous of once seeing a place, which by the description she had heard of it, greatly resembled the gardens of Lucullus at Rome, in which the emperor, with all the princes and princesses of his court were so nobly entertained, and where so many gallant conversations had passed among those admirable persons.

The singularity of her dress, for she was covered with her veil, drew a number of gazers after her, who pressed round her with so little respect, that she was greatly embarrassed, and had thoughts of quitting the place, delightful as she owned it, immediately, when her attention was wholly engrossed by an adventure in which she soon interested herself very deeply.

An officer of rank in the sea service had brought his mistress, disguised in a suit of man's or rather boy's clothes, and a hat and feather, into the gardens. The young creature being a little intoxicated with the wine she had taken too freely, was thrown so much off her guard as to give occasion to some of the company to suspect her sex; and a gay fellow, in order to give them some diversion at her expense, pretending to be affronted at something she said, drew his sword upon the disguised fair-one, which so alarmed her, that she shrieked out she was a woman, and ran for protection to her lover; who was so disordered with liquor, that he was not able to defend her.

Miss Glanville, ever curious and inquisitive, demanded the cause why the company ran in crowds to that particular spot; and received for answer, that a gentleman had drawn his sword upon a lady disguised in a man's habit.

Oh Heavens! cried Arabella, this must certainly be a very notable adventure. The lady has doubtless some extraordinary circumstances in her story, and haply, upon enquiry, her misfortunes will be found to resemble those which obliged the beautiful Aspasia to put on the same disguise, who was by that means murdered by the cruel Zenodorus in a fit of jealousy at the amity his wife expressed for her. But can I not see this unfortunate fair-one? added she, pressing in spite of Mr. Glanville's entreaties through the crowd: I may haply be able to afford her some consolation.

Mr. Glanville, finding his persuasions were not regarded, followed her with very little difficulty: for her veil falling back in her hurry, she did not mind to replace it; and the charms of her face, joined to the majesty of her person, and singularity of her dress, attracting every person's attention and respect, they made way for her to pass, not a little surprised at the extreme earnestness and solemnity that appeared in her countenance upon an event so diverting to every one else.

The disguised lady whom she was endeavouring to approach, had thrown herself upon a bench in one of the boxes, trembling still with the apprehension of the sword, though her antagonist was kneeling at her feet, making love to her in mock-heroics for the diversion of the company.

Her hat and peruke had fallen off in her fright, and her hair, which had been turned up under it, hung now loosely about her neck, and gave such an appearance of woe to a face, which notwithstanding the paleness that terror had overspread it with, was really extremely pretty, that Arabella was equally struck with compassion and admiration of her.

Lovely unknown, said she to her, with an air of extreme tenderness, though I am a stranger both to your name and history, yet your aspect persuadeth me your quality is not mean; and the condition and disguise in which I behold you, showing that you are unfortunate, permit me to offer you all the assistance in my power, seeing that I am moved thereto by my compassion for your distress, and that esteem which the sight of you must necessarily inspire.

Mr. Glanville was struck dumb with confusion at this strange speech, and at the whispers and scoffs it occasioned among the spectators. He attempted to take hold of her hand, in order to lead her away, but she disengaged herself from him with a frown of displeasure; and taking no notice of Miss Glanville, who whispered with great emotion, Lord, cousin, how you expose yourself! pressed nearer to the beautiful disguised, and again repeated her offers of service.

The girl being perfectly recovered from her intoxication by the fright she had been in, gazed upon Arabella with a look of extreme surprise: yet being moved to respect by the dignity of her appearance, and, strange as her words seemed to be, by the obliging purport of them, and the affecting earnestness with which they were delivered, she rose from her seat and thanked her, with an accent full of regard and submission.

Fair maid, said Arabella, taking her hand, let us quit this place, where your discovery may probably subject you to more dangers. If you will be pleased to put yourself into my protection, and acquaint me with the history of your misfortunes; I have interest enough with a valiant person, who shall undertake to free you from your persecutions, and re-establish the repose of your life.

The kneeling hero, who as well as every one else that were present, had gazed with astonishment at Arabella during all this passage, perceiving she was about to rob him of the disguised fair, seized hold of the hand she had at liberty, and swore he would not part with her.

Mr. Glanville, almost mad with vexation, endeavoured to get Arabella away.

Are you mad, madam, said he in a whisper, to make all this rout about a prostitute? Do you see how every body stares at you? What will they think--For Heaven's sake, let us be gone!

What, sir, replied Arabella in a rage, are you base enough to leave this admirable creature in the power of that man, who is questionless her ravisher; and will you not draw your sword in her defence?

Hey-day! cried the sea-officer, waked out of his stupid doze by the clamour about him: what's the matter here--What are you doing? Where's my Lucy? Zounds, sir! said he, to the young fellow who held her, what business have you with my Lucy? And uttering a dreadful oath, drew out his sword, and staggered towards his gay rival, who observing the weakness of his antagonist, flourished with his sword to show his courage and frighten the ladies, who all ran away screaming. Arabella taking Miss Glanville under the arm, cried out to Mr. Glanville as she left the place, to take care of the distressed lady, and, while the two combatants were disputing for her, to carry her away in safety.

But Mr. Glanville, without regarding this injunction, hastened after her; and to pacify her, told her the lady was rescued by her favourite lover, and carried off in triumph.

But are you sure, said Arabella, it was not some other of her ravishers who carried her away, and not the person whom she has haply favoured with her affection? May not the same thing have happened to her, as did to the beautiful Candace, queen of Ethiopia; who, while two of her ravishers were fighting for her, a third whom she took for her deliverer, came and carried her away.

But she went away willingly, I assure you, madam, said Mr. Glanville: pray don't be in any concern about her----

If she went away willingly with him, replied Arabella, it is probable it may not be another ravisher: and yet if this person that rescued her happened to be in armour, and the vizor of his helmet down, she might be mistaken as well as Queen Candace.

Well, well, he was not in armour, madam, said Glanville, almost beside himself with vexation at her folly----

You seem to be disturbed, sir, said Arabella, a little surprised at his peevish tone. Is there any thing in this adventure which concerns you? Nay, now I remember, you did not offer to defend the beautiful unknown. I am not willing to impute your inaction upon such an occasion to want of courage or generosity; perhaps you are acquainted with her history, and from this knowledge refused to engage in her defence.

Mr. Glanville, perceiving the company gather from all parts to the walk they were in, told her he would acquaint her with all he knew concerning the disguised lady when they were in the coach on their return home; and Arabella, impatient for the promised story, proposed to leave the gardens immediately, which was gladly complied with by Mr. Glanville, who heartily repented his having carried her thither.