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Cecilia's journey back to the country was as safe and free from interruption as her journey had been to town, and all that distinguished them hat passed in her ownsuspense which had acco out, were now all removed, and certainty, ease, the expectation of happiness, and the cessation of all perplexity, had taken their place She had nothing left to dread but the inflexibility of Mr Delvile, and hardly any thing even to hope but the recovery of his lady

Her friends at her return expressed their wonder at her expedition, but their wonder at what occasioned it, though still greater, h her absence had been so short; and Cecilia, whose affection with her pity increased, intimated to her the event for which she wished her to prepare herself, and frankly acknowledged she had reason to expect it would soon take place

Henrietta endeavoured with coence, and to return such a ratulations: but her fortitude was unequal to an effort so heroic, and her character was too sied colour; and hastily quitted the rooht sob aloud in another

Warm-hearted, tender, and susceptible, her affections were all undisguised: struck with the elegance of Delvile, and enchanted by his services to her brother, she had lost to hi it, and, whento reclaim it The hopelessness of such a passion she never considered, nor asked herself its end, or scarce suspected its aim; it was pleasant to her at the time, and she looked not to the future, but fed it with visionary schemes, and soothed it with voluntary fancies Now she knew all was over, she felt the folly she had cory at her own error, its conviction offered nothing but sorrow to succeed it

The felicity of Cecilia, whoenuine ardour of zealous sincerity; but that Delvile, the very cause and sole subject of her own personal unhappiness, should himself constitute that felicity, was too much for her spirits, and seemed to her mortified mind too cruel in her destiny

Cecilia, who in the very vehemence of her sorro its innocence, was too just and too noble to be offended by it, or iret of an untutored mind To be penetrated too deeply with the rieved for her situation with but little mixture of blame, and none of surprise She redoubled her kindness and caresses with the hope of consoling her, but ventured to trust her no further, till reflection, and her natural good sense, should better enable her to bear an explanation