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"Consider," continued Mrs Delvile, "the purpose of any further ; your union is ihts of it why then tear your own heart, and torture his, by an intercourse which seeed invitation to fruitless and unavailing sorrow?"

Cecilia was still silent; the truth of the expostulation her reason acknowledged, but to assent to its consequence her whole heart refused

"The ungenerous triumph of little female vanity," said Mrs Delvile, "is far, I aement and liberality will rather find consolation fros Speak to me, then, and tell me honestly, judiciously, candidly tell ht, to avoid rather than seek an object which can only give birth to regret? an interviehich can excite no sensations but of misery and sadness?" Cecilia then turned pale, she endeavoured to speak, but could not; she wished to comply,--yet to think she had seen him for the last time, to remember how abruptly she had parted from him, and to fear she had treated him unkindly;--these were obstacles which opposed her concurrence, though both judgment and propriety demanded it

"Can you, then," said Mrs Delvile, after a pause, "can you wish to see Mortirief? Can you desire he should see you, only to sharpen his affliction at your loss?"

"O no!" cried Cecilia, to whom this reproof restored speech and resolution, "I am not so despicable, I am not, I hope, so unworthy!--I will--be ruled by you wholly; I will co;--yet once, perhaps,--no more!"-"Ah, my dear Miss Beverley! to er in the heart of Morti poison into your own?

"If you think so, hed, stammered, and stopt

"Hear me," cried Mrs Delvile, "and rather let me try to convince than persuade you Were there any possibility, by argument, by reflection, or even by accident, to remove the obstacles to our connection, then would it be well to ht discussion turn to account, and an interchange of sentiments be productive of some happy expedients: but here--"

She hesitated, and Cecilia, shocked and ashamed, turned away her face, and cried "I know, madam, what you would say,--here all is over! and therefore--" "Yet suffer me," interrupted she, "to be explicit, since we speak upon, this matter now for the last time Here, then, I say, where not ONE doubt reh not happily decided, what can an interview produce? Mischief of every sort, pain, horror, and repining! To Mortirant it to his prayers, as an alleviation of his ment it All his passions would be raised, all his prudence would be extinguished, his soul would be torn with resentret, and force, only, would part hi was to be eternal To yourself--"