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"Oh madam," cried Cecilia, "talk not towords!--ah, rather scorn and upbraid me, tell me you despise my character, my family and my connections,--load, load me with contempt, but do not thus torture irl, if I have awakened those emotions you so wisely seek to subdue May my son but emulate your example, and my pride in his virtue shall be the solace of my affliction for his misfortunes"

She then tenderly embraced her, and abruptly took her leave

Cecilia had now acted her part, and acted it to her own satisfaction; but the curtain dropt when Mrs Delvile left the house, nature resuuised or repressed Soloomiest cloud of her misery, and secretly flattered her that its dispersion was possible, though distant: but that ray was extinct, that hope was no ht, and his mother had absolutely declared that even the subject had been discussed for the last time

Mrs Charlton, i's transactions, soon sent again to beg Cecilia would come to her Cecilia reluctantly obeyed, for she feared encreasing her indisposition by the intelligence she had to coled, therefore, to appear to her with tolerable cal what had passed, forbore to s and unhappiness

Mrs Charlton heard the account with the utmost concern; she accused Mrs Delvile of severity, and even of cruelty; she lae cereain been begun, as the only means to have rendered ineffectual the present fatal interposition But the grief of Cecilia, however violent, induced her not to join in this regret; she mourned only the obstacle which had occasioned the separation, and not the incident which had merely interrupted the ceremony: convinced, by the conversations in which she had just been engaged, of Mrs Delvile's inflexibility, she rather rejoiced than repined that she had put it to no nearer trial: sorroas all she felt; for her ainst a conduct which she saas dictated by a sense of right; and too ductile and too affectionate to remain unmoved by the personal kindness which had softened the rejection, and the ard which had shewn her it was lah considered as indispensable