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He enquired, with his usual appearance of easy friendliness, into what had passed with her two guardians, and how she had settled her affairs She answered without hesitation all his questions, but her h her communication was frank

This was not unheeded by Mr Monckton, who, after a short ti had disturbed her

Cecilia, ashaet rid of theed the subject to the difficulties she had had to encounter fros

Mr Monckton for a while humoured this evasion; but when, by her own exertion, her soleatory, and would not be satisfied without an answer

Cecilia, earnest that surmises so injurious should be removed, then honestly, but without comments, related the scene which had just past between Mr Delvile and herself

No co to explain to Mr Monckton the change of her behaviour "I see," he cried hastily, "what you cannot but suspect; and I will gowithin her, assured hied he would counsel her how to discover this treachery, without drawing from her concern at it a conclusion so offensive to hireatly disturbed; he declared his oonder equal to hers how the affair had been betrayed, expressed the warainst her conduct, and larief, that there should exist even the possibility of casting the odium of such villainy upon himself

Cecilia, distressed, perplexed, and ashah a lurking doubt obstinately clung to her understanding, the purity of her own principles, and the softness of her heart, pleaded strongly for his innocence, and urged her to detest her suspicion, though to conquer it they were unequal

"It is true," said he, with an air ingenuous though mortified, "I dislike the Delviles, and have always disliked them; they appear to me a jealous, vindictive, and insolent race, and I should have thought I betrayed the faithful regard I professed for you, had I concealedan alliance with thehtless of any enh it was an interference fro the connection, to contribute to your happiness, it was not with a design to stop it at the expence of your character, --a design black, horrible, and diabolic! a design which must be formed by a Daemon, but which even a Daemon could never, I think, execute!"