_In which one of our heroine's whims is justified, by some others full
as whimsical._
This piece of history, with Sir Charles's remarks upon it, brought
them into Bath. Their lodgings being provided beforehand, the ladies
retired to their different chambers, to repose themselves after the
fatigue of their journey, and did not meet again till supper was on
table; when Miss Glanville, who had eagerly enquired what company was
then in the place, and heard there were a great many persons of fashion
just arrived, pressed Arabella to go to the pump-room the next morning,
assuring her she would find a very agreeable amusement.
Arabella accordingly consented to accompany her; and being told the
ladies went in a undress of a morning, she accommodated herself to
the custom, and went in a negligent dress; but instead of a capuchin,
she wore something like a veil, of black gauze, which covered almost
all her face, and part of her waist, and gave her a very singular
appearance.
Miss Glanville was too envious of her cousin's superiority in point
of beauty, to inform her of any oddity in her dress, which she
thought might expose her to the ridicule of those that saw her; and
Mr. Glanville was too little a critic in ladies' apparel, to be
sensible that Arabella was not in the fashion; and since every thing
she wore became her extremely, he could not choose but think she
dressed admirably well: he handed her therefore, with a great deal of
satisfaction, into the pump-room, which happened to be greatly crowded
that morning.
The attention of most part of the company was immediately engaged
by the appearance Lady Bella made. Strangers are here most strictly
criticised, and every new object affords a delicious feast of raillery
and scandal.
The ladies, alarmed at the singularity of her dress, crowded together
in parties; and the words, Who can she be? Strange creature!
Ridiculous! and other exclamations of the same kind, were whispered
very intelligibly.
The men were struck with her figure, veiled as she was: her fine
stature, the beautiful turn of her person, the grace and elegance of
her motion, attracted all their notice. The phænomenon of the veil,
however, gave them great disturbance. So lovely a person seemed to
promise the owner had a face not unworthy of it; but that was totally
hid from their view: for Arabella, at her entrance into the room, had
pulled the gauze quite over her face, following therein the custom of
the ladies in Clelia, and the Grand Cyrus, who, in mixed companies,
always hid their faces with great care.
The wits and pretty fellows railed at the envious covering, and
compared her to the sun obscured by a cloud; while the beaux _dem'd_
the horrid innovation, and expressed a fear, lest it should grow into a
fashion.
Some of the wiser sort took her for a foreigner; others, of still more
sagacity, supposed her a Scots lady, covered with her plaid; and a
third sort, infinitely wiser than either, concluded she was a Spanish
nun, that had escaped from a convent, and had not yet quitted her veil.
Arabella, ignorant of the diversity of opinions to which her appearance
gave rise, was taken up in discoursing with Mr. Glanville upon the
medicinal virtue of the springs, the economy of the baths, the nature
of the diversions, and such other topics as the objects around them
furnished her with.
In the mean time, Miss Glanville was got amidst a crowd of her
acquaintance, who had hardly paid the civilities of a first meeting,
before they eagerly enquired who that lady she brought with her was.
Miss Glanville informed them, that she was her cousin, and daughter to
the deceased Marquis of ----; adding with a sneer, that she had been
brought up in the country; knew nothing of the world; and had some
very peculiar notions. As you may see, said she, by that odd kind of
covering she wears.
Her name and quality were presently whispered all over the room. The
men, hearing she was a great heiress, found greater beauties to admire
in her person: the ladies, awed by the sanction of quality, dropped
their ridicule on her dress, and began to quote examples of whims full
as inexcusable.
One remembered that Lady J---- F---- always wore her ruffles reversed;
that the Countess of ---- went to court in a farthingale; that the
Duchess of ---- sat astride upon a horse; and a certain lady of great
fortune, and nearly allied to quality, because she was not dignified
with a title, invented a new one for herself; and directed her servants
to say in speaking to her, _Your honoress_, which afterwards became a
custom among all her acquaintance; who mortally offended her if they
omitted that instance of respect.