CHAPTER vii
A REPROOF.
The attention of Cecilia to her own affairs, did not make her forgetfulof those of the Harrels: and the morning after the busy day which waslast recorded, as soon as she quitted the breakfast-room, she began anote to Mr Monckton, but was interrupted with information that he wasalready in the house.
She went to him immediately, and had the satisfaction of finding himalone: but desirous as she was to relate to him the transactions of thepreceding day, there was in his countenance a gravity so unusual, thather impatience was involuntarily checked, and she waited first to hearif he had himself any thing to communicate.
He kept her not long in suspence; "Miss Beverley," he said, "I bring youintelligence which though I know you will be very sorry to hear, it isabsolutely necessary should be told you immediately: you may otherwise,from however laudable motives, be drawn into some action which you mayrepent for life."
"What now!" cried Cecilia, much alarmed.
"All that I suspected," said he, "and more than I hinted to you, istrue; Mr Harrel is a ruined man! he is not worth a groat, and he is indebt beyond what he ever possessed."
Cecilia made no answer: she knew but too fatally the desperate state ofhis affairs, yet that _his debts were more than he had ever possessed_,she had not thought possible.
"My enquiries," continued he, "have been among principals, and suchas would not dare deceive me. I hastened, therefore, to you, that thistimely notice might enforce the injunctions I gave you when I had thepleasure of seeing you last, and prevent a misjudging generosity fromleading you into any injury of your own fortune, for a man who is pastall relief from it, and who cannot be saved, even though you were to bedestroyed for his sake."
"You are very good," said Cecilia, "but your counsel is now too late!"She then briefly acquainted him with what passed, and with how large asum she had parted.
He heard her with rage, amazement, and horror: and after inveighingagainst Mr Harrel in the bitterest terms, he said, "But why, before yousigned your name to so base an imposition, could you not send for me?"
"I wished, I meant to have done it," cried she, "but I thought the timepast when you could help me: how, indeed, could you have saved me? myword was given, given with an oath the most solemn, and the first I haveever taken in my life."
"An oath so forced," answered he, "the most delicate conscience wouldhave absolved you from performing. You have, indeed, been grosslyimposed upon, and pardon me if I add unaccountably to blame. Was it notobvious that relief so circumstanced must be temporary? If his ruinhad been any thing less than certain, what tradesmen would have beeninsolent? You have therefore deprived yourself of the power of doinggood to a worthier object, merely to grant a longer date to extravaganceand villainy."
"Yet how," cried Cecilia, deeply touched by this reproof, "how couldI do otherwise! Could I see a man in the agonies of despair, hear himfirst darkly hint his own destruction, and afterwards behold himalmost in the very act of suicide, the instrument of self-murder in hisdesperate hand--and yet, though he put his life in my power, though hetold me I could preserve him, and told me he had no other relianceor resource, could I leave him to his dreadful despondence, refuse myassisting hand to raise him from perdition, and, to save what, afterall, I am well able to spare, suffer a fellow-creature, who flunghimself upon my mercy, to offer up his last accounts with an actionblacker than any which had preceded it?--No, I cannot repent what I havedone, though I lament, indeed, that the object was not more deserving."
"Your representation," said Mr Monckton, "like every thing else that Iever heard you utter, breathes nothing but benevolence and goodness:but your pity has been abused, and your understanding imposed upon. MrHarrel had no intention to destroy himself; the whole was an infamoustrick, which, had not your generosity been too well known, would neverhave been played."
"I cannot think quite so ill of him," said Cecilia, "nor for the worldwould I have risked my own future reproaches by trusting to such asuspicion, which, had it proved wrong, and had Mr Harrel, upon myrefusal committed the fatal deed, would have made his murder upon myown conscience rest for ever! surely the experiment would have been toohazardous, when the consequence had all my future peace in its power.
"It is impossible not to revere your scruples," said Mr Monckton, "evenwhile I consider them as causeless; for causeless they undoubtedly were:the man who could act so atrocious a part, who could so scandalouslypillage a young lady who was his guest and his ward, take advantage ofher temper for the plunder of her fortune, and extort her compliance bythe basest and most dishonourable arts, meant only to terrify her intocompliance, for he can be nothing less than a downright and thoroughscoundrel, capable of every species of mean villainy."
He then protested he would at least acquaint her other guardians withwhat had passed, whose business it would be to enquire if there was anychance of redress.
Cecilia, however, had not much trouble in combating this proposal; forthough her objections, which were merely those of punctilious honour anddelicacy, weighed nothing with a man who regarded them as absurdities,yet his own apprehensions of appearing too officious in her affairs,forced him, after a little deliberation, to give up the design.
"Besides," said Cecilia, "as I have his bond for what I have partedwith, I have, at least, no right to complain, unless, after he receiveshis rents, he refuses to pay me."
"His bonds! his rents!" exclaimed Mr Monckton, "what is a man's bond whois not worth a guinea? and what are his rents, when all he ever ownedmust be sold before they are due, and when he will not himself receivea penny from the sale, as he has neither land, house, nor possession ofany sort that is not mortgaged?"
"Nay, then," said Cecilia, "if so, it is indeed all, over! I am sorry, Iam grieved!--but it is past, and nothing, therefore, remains, but that Itry to forget I ever was richer!"
"This is very youthful philosophy," said Mr Monckton; "but it will notlessen your regret hereafter, when the value of money is better known toyou."
"If I shall dearly buy my experience," said Cecilia, "let me be themore attentive to making good use of it; and, since my loss seemsirremediable to myself, let me at least endeavour to secure its utilityto Mr Harrel."
She then told him her wish to propose to that gentleman some scheme ofreformation, while yesterday's events were yet recent in his mind: butMr Monckton, who had hardly patience to hear her, exclaimed, "He is awretch, and deserves the full force of the disgrace he is courting. Whatis now most necessary is to guard you from his further machinations, foryou may else be involved in ruin as deep as his own. He now knows theway to frighten you, and he will not fail to put it in practice."
"No, Sir," answered Cecilia, "he would vainly apply to me in future: Icannot repent that I ventured not yesterday to brave his menaces, buttoo little is the comfort I feel from what I have bestowed, to sufferany consideration to make me part with more."
"Your resolution," answered he, "will be as feeble as your generositywill be potent: depend nothing upon yourself, but instantly quithis house. You will else be made responsible for every debt that hecontracts; and whatever may be his difficulties hereafter, he will knowthat to extricate himself from them, he has but to talk of dying, and toshew you a sword or a pistol."
"If so, then," said Cecilia, looking down while she spoke, "I suppose Imust again go to Mr Delvile's."
This was by no means the purpose of Mr Monckton, who saw not more dangerto her fortune with one of her guardians, than to her person with theother. He ventured, therefore, to recommend to her a residence withMr Briggs, well knowing that his house would be a security against herseeing any man equal to himself, and hoping that under his roof he mightagain be as unrivalled in her opinion and esteem, as he formerly was inthe country.
But here the opposition of Cecilia was too earnest for any hope thatit might be surmounted; for, added to her dislike of Mr Briggs,her repugnance to such an habitation was strongly, though silentlyincreased, by her secret inc
lination to return to St James's-square.
"I mention not Mr Briggs as an eligible host," said Mr Monckton, afterlistening to her objections, "but merely as one more proper for you thanMr Delvile, with whom your fixing at present would but be ill thought ofin the world."
"Ill thought of, Sir? Why so?"
"Because he has a son; for whose sake alone it would be universallyconcluded you changed your abode: and to give any pretence for sucha report, would by no means accord with the usual delicacy of yourconduct."
Cecilia was confounded by this speech: the truth of the charge she felt,and the probability of the censure she did not dare dispute.
He then gave her a thousand exhortations to beware of the schemes andartifices of Mr Harrel, which he foresaw would be innumerable. He toldher, too, that with respect to Sir Robert Floyer, he thought she hadbetter suffer the report to subside of itself, which in time it mustnecessarily do, than give to it so much consequence as to send a messageto the Baronet, from which he might pretend to infer that hitherto shehad been wavering, or she would have sent to him sooner.
But the real motive of this advice was, that as he found Sir Robert byno means to be dreaded, he hoped the report, if generally circulatedand credited, might keep off other pretenders, and intimidate or deceiveyoung Delvile.
The purport for which Cecilia had wished this conference was, however,wholly unanswered; Mr Monckton, enraged by the conduct of Mr Harrel,refused to talk of his affairs, and could only mention him withdetestation: but Cecilia, less severe in her judgment, and more tenderin her heart, would not yet give up the hope of an amendment she soanxiously wished; and having now no other person to whom she couldapply, determined to consult with Mr Arnott, whose affection for hissister would give him a zeal in the affair that might somewhat supplythe place of superior abilities. There was, indeed, no time to be lostin making the projected attempt, for no sooner was the immediate dangerof suffering removed, than the alarm wore away, and the penitence wasforgotten; every thing went on as usual, no new regulations were made,no expences abated, no pleasures forborn, not a thought of hereafteradmitted: and ruinous and terrible as had been the preceding storm, notrace of it was visible in the serenity of the present calm.
An occasion of discussion with Mr Arnott very speedily offered. MrHarrel said he had observed in the looks of his friends at the Pantheonmuch surprise at the sight of him, and declared he should take yetanother measure for removing all suspicion. This was to give a splendidentertainment at his own house to all his acquaintance, to which hemeant to invite every body of any consequence he had ever seen, andalmost every body he had ever heard of, in his life.
Levity so unfeeling, and a spirit of extravagance so irreclaimable, werehopeless prognostics; yet Cecilia would not desist from her design. Shetherefore took the earliest opportunity of speaking with Mr Arnott uponthe subject, when she openly expressed her uneasiness at the state ofhis brother's affairs, and warmly acknowledged her displeasure at hisdissipated way of life.
Mr Arnott soon shewed that example was all he wanted to declare the samesentiments. He owned he had long disapproved the conduct of Mr Harrel,and trembled at the situation of his sister. They then consideredwhat it was possible to propose that might retrieve their affairs, andconcluded that entirely to quit London for some years, was the onlychance that remained of saving them from absolute destruction.
Mr Arnott, therefore, though fearfully, and averse to the talk, told hissister their mutual advice. She thanked him, said she was much obligedto him, and would certainly consider his proposal, and mention it to MrHarrel.--Parties of pleasure, however, intervened, and the promise wasneglected.
Cecilia then again spoke herself. Mrs Harrel, much softened by herlate acts of kindness, was no longer offended by her interference, butcontented herself with confessing that she quite hated the country,and could only bear to live in it in summer time. And when Cecilia veryearnestly expostulated on the weakness of such an objection to a stepabsolutely necessary for her future safety and happiness, she said, _shecould do no worse than that if already ruined_, and therefore thatshe thought _it would be very hard to expect from her such a sacrificebefore-hand_.
It was in vain Cecilia remonstrated: Mrs Harrel's love of pleasure wasstronger than her understanding, and therefore, though she listened toher with patience, she concluded with the same answer she had begun.
Cecilia then, though almost heartless, resolved upon talking with MrHarrel himself: and therefore, taking an opportunity which he had nottime to elude, she ingenuously told him her opinion of his danger, andof the manner in which it might be avoided.
He paid unusual attention to her advice, but said she was much mistakenwith respect to his affairs, which he believed he should now veryspeedily retrieve, as he had had the preceding night an uncommon _run ofluck_, and flattered himself with being able very shortly to pay all hisdebts, and begin the world again upon a new score.
This open confession of gaming was but a new shock to Cecilia, whoscrupled not to represent to him the uncertainty of so hazardous areliance, and the inevitable evils of so destructive a practice.
She made not, however, the least impression upon his mind; he assuredher he doubted not giving her shortly a good account of himself, andthat living in the country was a resource of desperation which need notbe anticipated.
Cecilia, though grieved and provoked by their mutual folly andblindness, could proceed no further: advice and admonition she sparednot, but authority she had none to use. She regretted her ineffectualattempt to Mr Arnott, who was yet more cruelly afflicted at it; butthough they conversed upon the subject by every opportunity, they wereequally unable to relate any success from their efforts, or to deviseany plan more likely to ensure it.