CHAPTER vii.
A PARTING.
The next morning Dr Lyster called early, and having visited Mrs Delvile,and again met the two gentlemen of the faculty in whose care she was toremain, he took his leave. But not without contriving first to speak afew words to Cecilia in private, in which he charged her to be carefulof her health, and re-animate her spirits. "Don't suppose," said he,"that because I am a friend of the Delvile family, I am either blind toyour merits, or to their foibles, far from it; but then why shouldthey interfere with one another? Let them keep their prejudices, which,though different, are not worse than their neighbours, and do you retainyour excellencies, and draw from them the happiness they ought to giveyou. People reason and refine themselves into a thousand miseries, bychusing to settle that they can only be contented one way; whereas,there are fifty ways, if they would but look about them, that wouldcommonly do as well."
"I believe, indeed, you are right," answered Cecilia, "and I thank youfor the admonition; I will do what I can towards studying your scheme ofphilosophy, and it is always one step to amendment, to be convinced thatwe want it."
"You are a sensible and charming girl," said Dr Lyster, "and Mr Delvile,should he find a daughter-in-law descended in a right line from Egbert,first king of all England, won't be so well off as if he had satisfiedhimself with you. However, the old gentleman has a fair right, afterall, to be pleased his own way, and let us blame him how we will, weshall find, upon sifting, it is for no other reason but because hishumour happens to clash with our own."
"That, indeed," said Cecilia, smiling, "is a truth incontrovertible! anda truth to which, for the future, I will endeavour to give more weight.But will you permit me now to ask one question?--Can you tell mefrom whom, how, or when the intelligence which has caused all thisdisturbance---"
She hesitated, but, comprehending her readily, he answered "How they gotat it, I never heard, for I never thought it worth while to enquire, asit is so generally known, that nobody I meet with seems ignorant of it."
This was another, and a cruel shock to Cecilia, and Dr Lyster,perceiving it, again attempted to comfort her. "That the affair issomewhat spread," said he, "is now not to be helped, and thereforelittle worth thinking of; every body will agree that the choice ofboth does honour to both, and nobody need be ashamed to be successor toeither, whenever the course of things leads Mr Mortimer and yourselfto make another election. He wisely intends to go abroad, and will notreturn till he is his own man again. And as to you, my good younglady, what, after a short time given to vexation, need interrupt yourhappiness? You have the whole world before you, with youth, fortune,talents, beauty and independence; drive, therefore, from your headthis unlucky affair, and remember there can hardly be a family in thekingdom, this one excepted, that will not rejoice in a connection withyou."
He then good-humouredly shook hands with her, and went into his chaise.
Cecilia, though not slow in remarking the ease and philosophy withwhich every one can argue upon the calamities, and moralize upon themisconduct of others, had still the candour and good sense to see thatthere was reason in what he urged, and to resolve upon making the bestuse in her power of the hints for consolation she might draw from hisdiscourse.
During the following week, she devoted herself almost wholly to MrsDelvile, sharing with the maid, whom she had brought with her from theCastle, the fatigue of nursing her, and leaving to the Miss Charltonsthe chief care of their grandmother. For Mrs Delvile appeared every hourmore sensible of her attention, and more desirous of her presence, andthough neither of them spoke, each was endeared to the other by thetender offices of friendship which were paid and received.
When this week was expired, Dr Lyster was prevailed upon to return againto Bury, in order to travel himself with Mrs Delvile to Bristol. "Well,"cried he, taking Cecilia by the first opportunity aside, "how are you?Have you studied my scheme of philosophy, as you promised me?"
"O yes," said she, "and made, I flatter myself, no little proficiency."
"You are a good girl," cried he, "a very extraordinary girl! I am sureyou are; and upon my honour I pity poor Mortimer with all my soul! Buthe is a noble young fellow, and behaves with a courage and spirit thatdoes me good to behold. To have obtained you, he would have moved heavenand earth, but finding you out of his reach, he submits to his fate likea man."
Cecilia's eyes glistened at this speech; "Yes," said she, "he long sincesaid 'tis suspence, 'tis hope, that make the misery of life,--for therethe Passions have all power, and Reason has none. But when evils areirremediable, and we have neither resources to plan, nor castle-buildingto delude us, we find time for the cultivation of philosophy, andflatter ourselves, perhaps, that we have found inclination!"
"Why you have considered this matter very deeply," said he; "but I mustnot have you give way to these serious reflections. Thought, after all,has a cruel spite against happiness; I would have you, therefore, keepas much as you conveniently can, out of its company. Run about anddivert yourself, 'tis all you have for it. The true art of happiness inthis most whimsical world, seems nothing more nor less than this--Letthose who have leisure, find employment, and those who have business,find leisure."
He then told her that Mr Delvile senior was much better, and no longerconfined to his room: and that he had had the pleasure of seeing anentire reconciliation take place between him and his son, of whom he wasmore fond and more proud than any other father in the universe.
"Think of him, however, my dear young lady," he continued, "no more,for the matter I see is desperate: you must pardon my being a littleofficious, when I confess to you I could not help proposing to the oldgentleman an expedient of my own; for as I could not drive you out ofmy head, I employed myself in thinking what might be done by way ofaccommodation. Now my scheme was really a very good one, only whenpeople are prejudiced, all reasoning is thrown away upon them. Iproposed sinking _both_ your names, since they are so at variancewith one another, and so adopting a third, by means of a title. But MrDelvile angrily declared, that though such a scheme might do verywell for the needy Lord Ernolf, a Peer of twenty years, his own nobleancestors should never, by his consent, forfeit a name which so manycenturies had rendered honourable. His son Mortimer, he added, mustinevitably inherit the title of his grandfather, his uncle being oldand unmarried; but yet he would rather see him a beggar, than lose hisdearest hope that _Delvile_, Lord _Delvile_, would descend, both nameand title, from generation to generation unsullied and uninterrupted."
"I am sorry, indeed," said Cecilia, "that such a proposal was made, andI earnestly entreat that none of any sort may be repeated."
"Well, well," said he, "I would not for the world do any mischief, butwho would not have supposed such a proposal would have done good?"
"Mr Mortimer," he then added, "is to meet us at--for he would not, hesaid, come again to this place, upon such terms as he was here lastweek, for the whole worth of the king's dominions."
The carriage was now ready, and Mrs Delvile was prepared to depart.Cecilia approached to take leave of her, but Dr Lyster following, said"No talking! no thanking! no compliments of any sort! I shall carry offmy patient without permitting one civil speech, and for all the rudenessI make her guilty of, I am willing to be responsible."
Cecilia would then have retreated, but Mrs Delvile, holding out both herhands, said "To every thing else, Dr Lyster, I am content to submit; butwere I to die while uttering the words, I cannot leave this inestimablecreature without first saying how much I love her, how I honour, andhow I thank her! without entreating her to be careful of her health, andconjuring her to compleat the greatness of her conduct, by not sufferingher spirits to sink from the exertion of her virtue. And now my love,God bless you!"
She then embraced her, and went on; Cecilia, at a motion of Dr Lyster's,forbearing to follow her.
"And thus," cried she, when they were gone, "thus ends all my connectionwith this family! which it seems as if I was only to have known for thepurpose of a
ffording a new proof of the insufficiency of situation toconstitute happiness. Who looks not upon mine as the perfection ofhuman felicity?--And so, perhaps, it is, for it may be that Felicity andHumanity are never permitted to come nearer."
And thus, in philosophic sadness, by reasoning upon the universalityof misery, she restrained, at least, all violence of sorrow, though herspirits were dejected, and her heart was heavy.
But the next day brought with it some comfort that a little lightenedher sadness; Mrs Charlton, almost wholly recovered, was able to go downstairs, and Cecilia had at least the satisfaction of seeing an happyconclusion to an illness of which, with the utmost concern and regret,she considered herself as the cause. She attended her with the mostunremitting assiduity, and being really very thankful, endeavouredto appear happy, and flattered herself that, by continual effort, theappearance in a short time would become reality.
Mrs Charlton retired early, and Cecilia accompanied her up stairs:and while she was with her, was informed that Mr Monckton was in theparlour.
The various, afflicting, and uncommon scenes in which she had beenengaged since she last saw him, had almost wholly driven him from herremembrance, or when at any time he recurred to it, it was only toattribute the discontinuance of his visits to the offence she hadgiven him, in refusing to follow his advice by relinquishing her Londonexpedition.
Full, therefore, of the mortifying transactions which had passed sincetheir parting, and fearful of his enquiries into disgraces he had nearlyforetold, she heard him announced with chagrin, and waited upon him inthe most painful confusion.
Far different were the feelings of Mr Monckton; he read in hercountenance the dejection of disappointment, which impressed upon hisheart the vivacity of hope: her evident shame was to him secret triumph,her ill-concealed sorrow revived all his expectations.
She hastily began a conversation by mentioning her debt to him, andapologising for not paying it the moment she was of age. He knew buttoo well how her time had been occupied, and assured her the delay waswholly immaterial.
He then led to an enquiry into the present situation of her affairs;but unable to endure a disquisition, which could only be productive ofcensure and mortification, she hastily stopt it, exclaiming, "Ask menot, I entreat you, Sir, any detail of what has passed,--the event hasbrought me sufferings that may well make blame be dispensed with;--Iacknowledge all your wisdom, I am sensible of my own error, but theaffair is wholly dropt, and the unhappy connection I was forming isbroken off for-ever!"
Little now was Mr Monckton's effort in repressing his further curiosity,and he started other subjects with readiness, gaiety and address. Hementioned Mrs Charlton, for whom he had not the smallest regard; hetalked to her of Mrs Harrel, whose very existence was indifferent tohim; and he spoke of their common acquaintance in the country, for notone of whom he would have grieved, if assured of meeting no more. Hispowers of conversation were enlivened by his hopes; and his exhilaratedspirits made all subjects seem happy to him. A weight was removed fromhis mind which had nearly borne down even his remotest hopes; the objectof his eager pursuit seemed still within his reach, and the rival intowhose power he had so lately almost beheld her delivered, was totallyrenounced, and no longer to be dreaded. A revolution such as this,raised expectations more sanguine than ever; and in quitting the house,he exultingly considered himself released from every obstacle to hisviews--till, just as he arrived home, he recollected his wife!