CHAPTER xiii. -- A SOLUTION.
During the ride to town, not merely Cecilia, but Delvile himselfattended wholly to Mrs Harrel, whose grief as it became less violent,was more easy to be soothed.
The distress of this eventful night was however not yet over; when theycame to Portman-square, Delvile eagerly called to the coachman not todrive up to the house, and anxiously begged Cecilia and Mrs Harrel tosit still, while he went out himself to make some enquiries. They weresurprised at the request, yet immediately consented; but before he hadquitted them, Davison, who was watching their return, came up to themwith information that an execution was then in the house.
Fresh misery was now opened for Mrs Harrel, and fresh horror andperplexity for Cecilia; she had no longer, however, the whole weighteither of thought or of conduct upon herself; Delvile in her cares tookthe most animated interest, and beseeching her to wait a moment andappease her friend, he went himself into the house to learn the state ofthe affair.
He returned in a few minutes, and seemed in no haste to communicatewhat he had heard, but entreated them both to go immediately to StJames's-square.
Cecilia felt extremely fearful of offending his father by theintroduction of Mrs Harrel; yet she had nothing better to propose, andtherefore, after a short and distressed argument, she complied.
Delvile then told her that the alarm of his mother, at which he hadalready hinted, proceeded from a rumour of this very misfortune, towhich, though they knew not whether they might give credit, was owingthe anxiety which at so late an hour, had induced him to go to Vauxhallin search of her. They gained admittance without any disturbance, asthe servant of young Delvile had been ordered to sit up for his master.Cecilia much disliked thus taking possession of the house in thenight-time, though Delvile, solicitous to relieve her, desired she wouldnot waste a thought upon the subject, and making his servant shew herthe room which had been prepared for her reception, he begged her tocompose her spirits, and to comfort her friend, and promised to acquainthis father and mother when they arose with what had happened, that shemight be saved all pain from surprise or curiosity when they met.
This service she thankfully accepted, for she dreaded, after theliberty she had taken, to encounter the pride of Mr Delvile without someprevious apology, and she feared still more to see his lady without thesame preparation, as her frequent breach of appointment might reasonablyhave offended her, and as her displeasure would affect her more deeply.
It was now near six o'clock, yet the hours seemed as long as they weremelancholy till the family arose. They settled to remain quiet till somemessage was sent to them, but before any arrived, Mrs Harrel, who wasseated upon the bed, wearied by fatigue and sorrow, cried herself tosleep like a child.
Cecilia rejoiced in seeing this reprieve from affliction, though herkeener sensations unfitted her from partaking of it; much indeed wasthe uneasiness which kept her awake; the care of Mrs Harrel seemed todevolve upon herself, the reception she might meet from the Delvileswas uncertain, and the horrible adventures of the night, refused for amoment to quit her remembrance.
At ten o'clock, a message was brought from Mrs Delvile, to know whetherthey were ready for breakfast. Mrs Harrel was still asleep, but Ceciliacarried her own answer by hastening down stairs.
In her way she was met by young Delvile, whose air upon firstapproaching her spoke him again prepared to address her with the mostdistant gravity; but almost the moment he looked at her, he forgot hispurpose; her paleness, the heaviness of her eyes, and the fatigue oflong watching betrayed by her whole face, again, surprised him into allthe tenderness of anxiety, and he enquired after her health not as acompliment of civility, but as a question in which his whole heart wasmost deeply interested.
Cecilia thanked him for his attention to her friend the night before,and then proceeded to his mother.
Mrs Delvile, coming forward to meet her, removed at once all her fearsof displeasure, and banished all necessity of apology, by instantlyembracing her, and warmly exclaiming "Charming Miss Beverley! how shallI ever tell you half the admiration with which I have heard of yourconduct! The exertion of so much fortitude at a juncture when a weakermind would have been overpowered by terror, and a heart less under thedominion of well-regulated principles, would have sought only its ownrelief by flying from distress and confusion, shews such propriety ofmind as can only result from the union of good sense with virtue. Youare indeed a noble creature! I thought so from the moment I beheld you;I shall think so, I hope, to the last that I live!"
Cecilia, penetrated with joy and gratitude, felt in that instant theamplest recompense for all that she had suffered, and for all that shehad lost. Such praise from Mrs Delvile was alone sufficient to makeher happy; but when she considered whence it sprung, and that thecircumstances with which she was so much struck, must have been relatedto her by her son, her delight was augmented to an emotion the mostpleasing she could experience, from seeing how high she was held in theesteem of those who were highest in her own.
Mrs Delvile then, with the utmost cordiality, began to talk of heraffairs, saving her the pain of proposing the change of habitation thatnow seemed unavoidable, by an immediate invitation to her house, whichshe made with as much delicacy as if Mr Harrel's had still been opento her, and choice, not necessity, had directed her removal. The wholefamily, she told her, went into the country in two days, and she hopedthat a new scene, with quietness and early hours, would restore boththe bloom and sprightliness which her late cares and restlessness hadinjured. And though she very seriously lamented the rash action of MrHarrel, she much rejoiced in the acquisition which her own house andhappiness would receive from her society.
She next discussed the situation of her widowed friend, and Ceciliaproduced the packet which had been entrusted to her by her late husband.Mrs Delvile advised her to open it in the presence of Mr Arnott, andbegged her to send for any other of her friends she might wish to see orconsult, and to claim freely from herself whatever advice or assistanceshe could bestow.
And then, without waiting for Mr Delvile, she suffered her to swallowa hasty breakfast, and return to Mrs Harrel, whom she had desired theservants to attend, as she concluded that in her present situation shewould not chuse to make her appearance.
Cecilia, lightened now from all her cares, more pleased than ever withMrs Delvile, and enchanted that at last she was settled under her roof,went back with as much ability as inclination to give comfort to MrsHarrel. She found her but just awaking, and scarce yet conscious whereshe was, or why not in her own house.
As her powers of recollection returned, she was soothed with the softestcompassion by Cecilia, who in pursuance of Mrs Delvile's advice,sent her servant in search of Mr Arnott, and in consequence of herpermission, wrote a note of invitation to Mr Monckton.
Mr Arnott, who was already in town, soon arrived; his own man, whom hehad left to watch the motions of Mr Harrel, having early in the morningrode to the place of his retreat, with the melancholy tidings of thesuicide and execution.
Cecilia instantly went down stairs to him. The meeting was extremelypainful to them both. Mr Arnott severely blamed himself for his flight,believing it had hastened the fatal blow, which some further sacrificesmight perhaps have eluded; and Cecilia half repented the advice she hadgiven him, though the failure of her own efforts proved the situation ofMr Harrel too desperate for remedy.
He then made the tenderest enquiries about his sister, and entreatedher to communicate to him the minutest particulars of the dreadfultransaction; after which, she produced the packet, but neither of themhad the courage to break the seal; and concluding the contents would beno less than his last will, they determined some third person should bepresent when they opened it. Cecilia wished much for Mr Monckton, but ashis being immediately found was uncertain, and the packet might consistof orders which ought not to be delayed, she proposed, for the sake ofexpedition, to call in Mr Delvile.
Mr Arnott readily agreed, and she sent to beg a moment's au
dience withthat gentleman.
She was desired to walk into the breakfast-room, where he was sittingwith his lady and his son.
Not such was now her reception as when she entered that apartmentbefore; Mr Delvile looked displeased and out of humour, and, making hera stiff bow, while his son brought her a chair, coldly said, "If youare hurried, Miss Beverley, I will attend you directly; if not, I willfinish my breakfast, as I shall have but little time the rest of themorning, from the concourse of people upon business, who will crowd uponme till dinner, most of whom will be extremely distressed if I leavetown without contriving to see them."
"There is not the least occasion, Sir," answered Cecilia, "that I shouldtrouble you to quit the room I merely came to beg you would have thegoodness to be present while Mr Arnott opens a small packet which waslast night put into my hands by Mr Harrel."
"And has Mr Arnott," answered he, somewhat sternly, "thought proper tosend me such a request?"
"No, Sir," said Cecilia, "the request is mine; and if, as I now fear, itis impertinent, I must entreat you to forget it."
"As far as relates merely to yourself," returned Mr Delvile, "it isanother matter; but certainly Mr Arnott can have no possible claim uponmy time or attention; and I think it rather extraordinary, that a youngman with whom I have no sort of connection or commerce, and whose veryname is almost unknown to me, should suppose a person in my style oflife so little occupied as to be wholly at his command."
"He had no such idea, Sir," said Cecilia, greatly disconcerted; "thehonour of your presence is merely solicited by myself, and simply fromthe apprehension that some directions may be contained in the paperswhich, perhaps, ought immediately to be executed."
"I am not, I repeat," said Mr Delvile, more mildly, "displeased at yourpart of this transaction; your want of experience and knowledge of theworld makes you not at all aware of the consequences which may follow mycompliance; the papers you speak of may perhaps be of great importance,and hereafter the first witness to their being read may be publicklycalled upon. You know not the trouble such an affair may occasion, butMr Arnott ought to be better informed."
Cecilia, making another apology for the error which she had committed,was in no small confusion, quitting the room; but Mr Delvile,perfectly appeased by seeing her distress, stopt her, to say, with muchgraciousness, "For your sake, Miss Beverley, I am sorry I cannot act inthis business; but you see how I am situated! overpowered with affairsof my own, and people who can do nothing without my orders. Besides,should there hereafter be any investigation into the matter, my namemight, perhaps, be mentioned, and it would be superfluous to say how illI should think it used by being brought into such company."
Cecilia then left the rooms secretly vowing that no possible exigenceshould in future tempt her to apply for assistance to Mr Delvile, which,however ostentatiously offered, was constantly withheld when claimed.
She was beginning to communicate to Mr Arnott her ill success, whenyoung Delvile, with an air of eagerness, followed her into the room."Pardon me," he cried, "for this intrusion,--but, tell me, is itimpossible that in this affair I can represent my father? may not theoffice you meant for him, devolve upon me? remember how near we are toeach other, and honour me for once with supposing us the same!"
Ah who, or what, thought Cecilia, can be so different? She thanked him,with much sweetness, for his offer, but declined accepting it, saying "Iwill not, now I know the inconveniencies of my request, be so selfish aseven to suffer it should be granted."
"You must not deny me," cried he; "where is the packet? why should youlose a moment?"
"Rather ask," answered she, "why I should permit you to lose a momentin a matter that does not concern you? and to risk, perhaps, the loss ofmany moments hereafter, from a too incautious politeness."
"And what can I risk," cried he, "half so precious as your smallestsatisfaction? do you suppose I can flatter myself with a possibility ofcontributing to it, and yet have the resolution to refuse myself somuch pleasure? no, no, the heroic times are over, and self-denial is nolonger in fashion!"
"You are very good," said Cecilia; "but indeed after what has passed--"
"No matter for what has passed," interrupted he, "we are now to thinkof what is to come. I know you too well to doubt your impatience in theexecution of a commission which circumstances have rendered sacred; andshould any thing either be done or omitted contrary to the directionsin your packet, will you not be apt, blameless as you are, to disturbyourself with a thousand fears that you took not proper methods for thedischarge of your trust?"
There was something in this earnestness so like his former behaviour,and so far removed from his late reserve, that Cecilia, who perceivedit with a pleasure she could hardly disguise, now opposed him no longer,but took up the packet, and broke the seal.
And then, to her no small amazement, instead of the expected will, shefound a roll of enormous bills, and a collection of letters from variouscreditors, threatening the utmost severity of the law if their demandswere longer unanswered.
Upon a slip of paper which held these together, was written, in MrHarrel's hand, To be all paid to-night with a BULLET.
Next appeared two letters of another sort; the first of which was fromSir Robert Floyer, and in these words;
Sir,--As all prospects are now over of the alliance, I hope you willexcuse my reminding you of the affair at Brookes's of last Christmas. Ihave the honour to be, Sir, yours R. FLOYER.
The other was from Mr Marriot.
Sir,--Though I should think L2000 nothing for the smallest hope, I musttake the liberty to say I think it a great deal for only ten minutes;you can't have forgot, Sir, the terms of our agreement, but as I findyou cannot keep to them, I must beg to be off also on my side, and Iam persuaded you are too much a man of honour to take advantage of myover-eagerness in parting with my money without better security. I am,Sir, your most humble servant, A. Marriot.
What a scene of fraud, double-dealing, and iniquity was here laid open!Cecilia, who at first meant to read every thing aloud, found the attemptutterly vain, for so much was she shocked, that she could hardly read onto herself.
Last of all appeared a paper in Mr Harrel's own hand-writing, containingthese words.
For Mrs Harrel, Miss Beverley, and Mr Arnott.
I can struggle no longer, the last blow must now be struck! another dayrobs me of my house and my liberty, and blasts me by the fatal discoveryof my double attempts.
This is what I have wished; wholly to be freed, or ruined past allresource, and driven to the long-projected remedy.
A burthen has my existence been these two years, gay as I have appeared;not a night have I gone to bed, but heated and inflamed from a gamingtable; not a morning have I awaked, but to be soured with a dun!
I would not lead such a life again, if the slave who works hardest atthe oar would change with me.
Had I a son, I would bequeath him a plough; I should then leave himhappier than my parents left me.
Idleness has been my destruction; the want of something to do led meinto all evil.
A good wife perhaps might have saved me,--mine, I thank her! tried not.Disengaged from me and my affairs, her own pleasures and amusementshave occupied her solely. Dreadful will be the catastrophe she will seeto-night; let her bring it home, and live better!
If any pity is felt for me, it will be where I have least deserved it!Mr Arnott--Miss Beverley! it will come from you!
To bring myself to this final resolution, hard, I confess, have been myconflicts; it is not that I have feared death, no, I have long wishedit, for shame and dread have embittered my days; but something thereis within me that causes a deeper horror, that asks my preparation foranother world! that demands my authority for quitting this!--what mayhereafter--O terrible!--Pray for me, generous Miss Beverley!--kind,gentle Mr Arnott, pray for me!--
Wretch as Mr Harrel appeared, without religion, principle, or honour,this incoherent letter, evidently written in the desperate moment of
determined suicide, very much affected both Cecilia and Mr Arnott, andin spite either of abhorrence or resentment, they mutually shed tearsover the address to themselves.
Delvile, to whom every part of the affair was new, could only considerthese papers as so many specimens of guilt and infamy; he read them,therefore, with astonishment and detestation, and openly congratulatedCecilia upon having escaped the double snares that were spread for her.
While this was passing, Mr Monckton arrived; who felt but littlesatisfaction from beholding the lady of his heart in confidentialdiscourse with two of his rivals, one of whom had long attacked herby the dangerous flattery of perseverance, and the other, without anyattack, had an influence yet more powerful.
Delvile, having performed the office for which he came, concluded, uponthe entrance of Mr Monckton, that Cecilia had nothing further to wishfrom him; for her long acquaintance with that gentleman, his being amarried man, and her neighbour in the country, were circumstances wellknown to him; he merely, therefore, enquired if she would honour himwith any commands, and upon her assuring him she had none, he quietlywithdrew.
This was no little relief to Mr Monckton, into whose hands Cecilia thenput the fatal packet; and while he was reading it, at the desire of MrArnott, she went up stairs to prepare Mrs Harrel for his admission.
Mrs Harrel, unused to solitude, and as eager for company when unhappyto console, as when easy to divert her, consented to receive him withpleasure; they both wept at the meeting, and Cecilia, after some wordsof general comfort, left them together.
She had then a very long and circumstantial conversation with MrMonckton, who explained whatever had appeared dark in the writingsleft by Mr Harrel, and who came to her before he saw them, with fullknowledge of what they contained.
Mr Harrel had contracted with Sir Robert Floyer a large debt of honourbefore the arrival in town of Cecilia; and having no power to dischargeit, he promised that the prize he expected in his ward should fallto his share, upon condition that the debt was cancelled. Nothing wasthought more easy than to arrange this business, for the Baronet wasalways to be in her way, and the report of the intended alliance was tokeep off all other pretenders. Several times, however, her coldness madehim think the matter hopeless; and when he received her letter, hewould have given up the whole affair; but Mr Harrel, well knowing hisinability to satisfy the claims that would follow such a defection,constantly persuaded him the reserve was affected, and that his ownpride and want of assiduity occasioned all her discouragement.
But while thus, by amusing the Baronet with false hopes, he kept off hisdemands, those of others were not less clamorous; his debts increased,his power of paying them diminished; he grew sour and desperate, and inone night lost L3000 beyond what he could produce, or offer any securityfor.
This, as he said, was what he wished; and now he was, for the present,to extricate himself by doubling stakes and winning, or to force himselfinto suicide by doubling such a loss. For though, with tolerable ease,he could forget accounts innumerable with his tradesmen, one neglecteddebt of honour rendered his existence insupportable!
For this last great effort, his difficulty was to raise the L3000already due, without which the proposal could not be made; and, aftervarious artifices and attempts, he at length contrived a meeting with MrMarriot, intreated him to lend him L2000 for only two days, and offeredhis warmest services in his favour with Cecilia.
The rash and impassioned young man, deceived by his accounts intobelieving that his ward was wholly at his disposal, readily advanced themoney, without any other condition than that of leave to visit freelyat his house, to the exclusion of Sir Robert Floyer. "The other L1000,"continued Mr Monckton, "I know not how he obtained, but he certainly hadthree. You, I hope, were not so unguarded--"
"Ah, Mr Monckton," said Cecilia, "blame me not too severely! the attacksthat were made,--the necessity of otherwise betraying the worthy andhalf ruined Mr. Arnott--"
"Oh fie," cried he, "to suffer your understanding to be lulled asleep,because the weak-minded Mr Arnott's could not be kept awake! I thought,after such cautions from me, and such experience of your own, you couldnot again have been thus duped."
"I thought so too," answered she, "but yet when the trial cameon,--indeed you know not how I was persecuted."
"Yet you see," returned he, "the utter inutility of the attempt; yousee, and I told you beforehand, that nothing could save him."
"True; but had I been firmer in refusal, I might not so well have knownit; I might then have upbraided myself with supposing that my compliancewould have rescued him."
"You have indeed," cried Mr Monckton, "fallen into most worthless hands,and the Dean was much to blame for naming so lightly a guardian to afortune such as yours."
"Pardon me," cried Cecilia, "he never entrusted him with my fortune, hecommitted it wholly to Mr Briggs."
"But if he knew not the various subterfuges by which such a cautionmight be baffled, he ought to have taken advice of those who were betterinformed. Mr Briggs, too! what a wretch! mean, low, vulgar, sordid!--thewhole city of London, I believe, could not produce such another! howunaccountable to make you the ward of a man whose house you cannot enterwithout disgust!"
"His house," cried Cecilia, "my uncle never wished me to enter; hebelieved, and he was right, that my fortune would be safe in his hands;but for myself, he concluded I should always reside at Mr Harrel's.""But does not the city at this time," said Mr Monckton, "abound infamilies where, while your fortune was in security, you might yourselfhave lived with propriety? Nothing requires circumspection so minute asthe choice of a guardian to a girl of large fortune, and in general onething only is attended to, an appearance of property. Morals, integrity,character, are either not thought of, or investigated so superficially,that the enquiry were as well wholly omitted." He then continued hisrelation.
Mr Harrel hastened with his L3000 to the gaming table; one throw ofthe dice settled the business, he lost, and ought immediately to havedoubled the sum. That, however, was never more likely to be in hispower; he knew it; he knew, too, the joint claims of Cecilia's deceivedadmirers, and that his house was again threatened with executionsfrom various quarters;--he went home, loaded his pistols, and took themethods already related to work himself into courage for the deed.
The means by which Mr Monckton had procured these particulars were manyand various, and not all such as he could avow; since in the course ofhis researches, he had tampered with servants and waiters, and scrupledat no methods that led but to discovery.
Nor did his intelligence stop here; he had often, he said, wondered atthe patience of Mr Harrel's creditors, but now even that was clearedup by a fresh proof of infamy; he had been himself at the house inPortmansquare, where he was informed that Mr Harrel had kept them quiet,by repeated assurances that his ward, in a short time, meant to lend himmoney for discharging them all.
Cecilia saw now but too clearly the reason her stay in his house was soimportant to him; and wondered less at his vehemence upon that subject,though she detested it more.
"Oh how little," cried she, "are the gay and the dissipated to beknown upon a short acquaintance! expensive, indeed, and thoughtlessand luxurious he appeared to me immediately; but fraudulent,base, designing, capable of every pernicious art of treachery andduplicity,--such, indeed, I expected not to find him, his veryflightiness and levity seemed incompatible with such hypocrisy."
"His flightiness," said Mr Monckton, "proceeded not from gaiety ofheart, it was merely the effect of effort; and his spirits were asmechanical as his taste for diversion. He had not strong parts, norwere his vices the result of his passions; had oeconomy been as much infashion as extravagance, he would have been equally eager to practiceit; he was a mere time-server, he struggled but to be something, andhaving neither talents nor sentiment to know what, he looked around himfor any pursuit, and seeing distinction was more easily attained in theroad to ruin than in any other, he gallopped along it, thoughtless ofbeing thrown when he came
to the bottom, and sufficiently gratified inshewing his horsemanship by the way."
And now, all that he had either to hear or to communicate upon thissubject being told, he enquired, with a face strongly expressive of hisdisapprobation, why he found her at Mr Delvile's, and what had become ofher resolution to avoid his house?
Cecilia, who, in the hurry of her mind and her affairs, had whollyforgotten that such a resolution had been taken, blushed at thequestion, and could not, at first, recollect what had urged her tobreak it; but when he proceeded to mention Mr Briggs, she was no longerdistressed; she gave a circumstantial account of her visit tohim, related the mean misery in which he lived, and told him theimpracticability of her residing in such a house.
Mr Monckton could now in decency make no further opposition, howeverpainful and reluctant was his acquiescence; yet before he quittedher, he gave himself the consolation of considerably obliging her, andsoftened his chagrin by the sweetness of her acknowledgments.
He enquired how much money in all she had now taken up of the Jew; andhearing it was L9050, he represented to her the additional loss shemust suffer by paying an exorbitant interest for so large a sum, andthe almost certainty with which she might be assured of very grossimposition; he expatiated, also, upon the injury which her charactermight receive in the world, were it known that she used such methodsto procure money, since the circumstances which had been her inducementwould probably either be unnoticed or misrepresented; and when he hadawakened in her much uneasiness and regret upon this subject, he offeredto pay the Jew without delay, clear her wholly from his power, andquietly receive the money when she came of age from herself.
A proposal so truly friendly made her look upon the regard of MrMonckton in a higher and nobler point of view than her utmost esteem andreverence had hitherto placed it; yet she declined at first acceptingthe offer, from an apprehension it might occasion him inconvenience; butwhen he assured her he had a yet larger sum lying at present uselessin a Banker's hands, and promised to receive the same interest for hismoney he should be paid from the funds, she joyfully listened tohim; and it was settled that they should send for the Jew, take hisdischarge, and utterly dismiss him.
Mr Monckton, however, fearful of appearing too officious in her affairs,wished not to have his part in the transaction published, and advisedCecilia not to reveal the matter to the Delviles. But great as was his[ascendancy] over her mind, her aversion to mystery and hypocrisy werestill greater; she would not, therefore, give him this promise, thoughher own desire to wait some seasonable opportunity for disclosing it,made her consent that their meeting with the Jew should be at the houseof Mrs Roberts in Fetter-lane, at twelve o'clock the next morning; whereshe might also see Mrs Hill and her children before she left town.
They now parted, Cecilia charmed more than ever with her friend, whosekindness, as she suspected not his motives, seemed to spring from themost disinterested generosity.
That, however, was the smallest feature in the character of Mr Monckton,who was entirely a man of the world, shrewd, penetrating, attentiveto his interest, and watchful of every advantage to improve it. In theservice he now did Cecilia, he was gratified by giving her pleasure, butthat was by no means his only gratification; he still hoped her fortunewould one day be his own, he was glad to transact any business withher, and happy in making her owe to him an obligation; but his principalinducement was yet stronger; he saw with much alarm the facility of herliberality; and he feared while she continued in correspondence withthe Jew, that the easiness with which she could raise money would be amotive with her to continue the practice whenever she was softened bydistress, or subdued by entreaty; but he hoped, by totally concludingthe negociation, the temptation would be removed; and that the hazardand inconvenience of renewing it, would strengthen her aversion to suchan expedient, till, between difficulties and disuse, that dangerousresource would be thought of no more.
Cecilia then returned to Mrs Harrel, whom she found as she had left,weeping in the arms of her brother. They consulted upon what was bestto be done, and agreed that she ought instantly to leave town; for whichpurpose a chaise was ordered directly. They settled also that Mr Arnott,when he had conveyed her to his country house, which was in Suffolk,should hasten back to superintend the funeral, and see if anything couldbe saved from the creditors for his sister.
Yet this plan, till Cecilia was summoned to dinner, they had not theresolution to put in practice. They were then obliged to be gone, andtheir parting was very melancholy. Mrs Harrel wept immoderately, andMr Arnott felt a concern too tender for avowal, though too sincerefor concealment. Cecilia, however glad to change her situation, wasextremely depressed by their sorrow, and entreated to have frequentaccounts of their proceedings, warmly repeating her offers of service,and protestations of faithful regard.
She accompanied them to the chaise, and then went to the dining parlour,where she found Mr and Mrs Delvile, but saw nothing more of their sonthe whole day.
The next morning after breakfast, Mrs Delvile set out upon someleave-taking visits, and Cecilia went in a chair to Fetter-lane; here,already waiting for her, she met the punctual Mr Monckton, and thedisappointed Jew, who most unwillingly was paid off, and relinquishedhis bonds; and who found in the severe and crafty Mr Monckton, anothersort of man to deal with than the necessitous and heedless Mr Harrel.
As soon as he was dismissed, other bonds were drawn and signed, the oldones were destroyed; and Cecilia, to her infinite satisfaction, had nocreditor but Mr Monckton. Her bookseller, indeed, was still unpaid, buther debt with him was public, and gave her not any uneasiness.
She now, with the warmest expressions of gratitude, took leave of MrMonckton, who suffered the most painful struggles in repressing thevarious apprehensions to which the parting, and her establishment at theDelviles gave rise.
She then enquired briefly into the affairs of Mrs Hill, and having hearda satisfactory account of them, returned to St James's-square.
BOOK VI