Page:The female Quixote, or, The adventures of Arabella (Second Edition).pdf/288

 of it, when she repeated it again, went conning her Lesson to the Place where she had desired the Servant to wait her coming: But he was gone; such being indeed his Master's Orders; for he was apprehensive, that, following the Custom of the Ladies in Romances, Arabella would return his Letter; and therefore, to deprive her of an Opportunity of sending it back that Night, he ordered his Man to say, he waited for an Answer; but, as soon as he conveniently could, to come away without one. Lucy, in a great Surprize at the Servant's going away, returned to her Lady with the Letter in her Hand, telling her she must needs read it now, since the Person, who brought it, was gone. It must be confessed, said Arabella, taking the Letter from her, with a Smile, he has fallen upon an ingenious Device, to make me keep it for this Night; and, since, haply, I may be mistaken in the Contents, I have a mind to open it. Lucy did not fail to confirm her Lady in this Design: And Arabella, making as if she yielded to the Importunities of her Confidante, opened the Letter; which she found as follows:   The unfortunate and despairing Bellmour, to the Divine Arabella.

Madam,

Since it is, doubtless, not only with your Permission, but even by your Commands, that your Uncle, Sir Charles Glanville, comes to pronounce the Sentence of my Death, in the