English grammar

Has it been transcribed accurately? It's difficult to say, Irivero. The book was completed in 1816. There might be social considerations that would make such a use natural in 1816 society that do not apply in the English of today.

What's the rest of the sentence??

The word "arrived" has several meanings for this period in history, especially when it involves status and order of importance.

The "lady" may not have been greeted, titled, acknowledged, etc.

http://books.google.com/books?id=TVoLbKFUb2wC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=Russell+had+not+been+arrived&source=bl&ots=Lgda7Eb3vl&sig=0-nFPakDJgXV5aWCM_4vDnl_sCw&hl=en&ei=codITbHwMo2whQfAwKSgBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Russell%20had%20not%20been%20arrived&f=false

"There was a little awkwardness at first in their discourse on another subject. They must speak of the accident at Lyme. Lady Russel had not been arrived five minutes the day before, when a full account of the whole had burst on her; but still it must be talked of, she must make enquiries, she must regret the imprudence, lament the result, and Captain Wentworth’s name must be mentioned by both."

It is just gossip anyway.

I noticed in England "he was sat" is used so it must be the spoken English as opposed to "proper English".

It just means she had only just arrived at the place, she had only been there five minutes, when this event happened,

Lady Russel had not been arrived five minutes the day before, when a full account of the whole had burst on her; but still it must be talked of, she must make enquiries, she must regret the imprudence, lament the result, and Captain Wentworth’s name must be mentioned by both."

Why did you post that? Is the matter not now clear to you?

Kind of like:

I hadn't been out of the room for five minutes, when all hell broke out.