Page 75 (1/1)

Cecilia was much affected by this last and solemn remeht grieve undisturbed, and she laue and the illness which, in so late a period, as it proved, of her life, she had herself been theto her

Mr Monckton had too much prudence to interrupt this desire of solitude, which indeed cost hier when alone She received in about a week answers frouardians Mr Delvile's letter was closely to the purpose, without a word but of business, and couched in the haughtiest terms As he had never, he said, acted, he had no accounts to send in; but as he was going to town in a few days, he would see her for a ht be signed, to prevent any future application to him

Ceciliahireatest h still e: but he advised her to defer her sche her she would be cheated, and had better leave it to him

When she communicated these epistles to Mr Monckton, he failed not to read, with an eantly enforced, the letter of Mr Delvile aloud Nor was he sparing in coht render it yet more offensive Cecilia neither concurred in what he said, nor opposed it, but contented herself, when he was silent, with producing the other letter

Mr Monckton read not this with s, as covetous, rapacious, and over-reaching, and warned her by nothe opinion of some disinterested person He then stated the various arts which ers to which her ignorance of business exposed her, and annotated upon the cheats, double dealings, and tricks of stock jobbing, to which he assured her Mr Briggs owed all he orth, till, perplexed and confounded, she declared herself at a loss how to proceed, and earnestly regretted that she could not have his counsel upon the spot

This was his aim: to draw the wish from her, drew all suspicion of selfish views from himself: and he told her that he considered her present situation as so critical, the future confusion or regularity of herto depend upon it, that he would endeavour to arrange his affairs forher in London