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Cecelia was still in this teentle her She concluded he was Delvile, and the thought ofhim merely to communicate what must so bitterly afflict hiony of perturbation and sorrow

He met her at the door, where, before he could speak, "Mr Delvile," she cried, in a hurrying manner, "ill you co me, in defiance of every obstacle, and in contempt of my prohibition?"

"Good heavens," cried he, amazed, "whence this reproach? Did you not permit me to wait upon you with the result of my enquiries? Had I not your consent--but why do you look thus disturbed?--Your eyes are red, --you have been weeping--Oh my Cecilia! have I any share in your sorrow?--Those tears, which never floeakly, tell me, have they--has one of them been shed upon my account?"

"And what," cried she, "has been the result of your enquiries?--Speak quick, for I wish to know,--and in another instant I e," cried the astonished Delvile, "is this language! how strange are these looks! What new has come to pass? Has any fresh calamity happened? Is there yet some evil which I do not expect?"

"Why will you not answer first?" cried she; "when I have spoken, you will perhaps be less willing"

"You terrify, you shock, you amaze me! What dreadful bloaitsme?--That which I have just experienced, and which tore you from me even at the foot of the altar, still remains inexplicable, still continues to be involved in darkness and mystery; for the wretch who separated us I have never been able to discover"

"Have you procured, then, no intelligence?"

"No, none; though since we parted I have never rested a moment"

"Make, then, no further enquiry, for now all explanation would be useless That ere parted, we know, though e cannot tell: but that again we shall evereyes cast upwards, and a deep sigh bursting fro to take her hand, which she hastily withdrew from him, "what does this mean? loveliest, dearest Cecilia, ony only can wring froe of your faith? Aave it? Why will you not open to him your heart? Why thus distrust his honour, and repulse his tenderness? Oh why, giving him such exquisite misery, refuse him the smallest consolation?"