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Evil thoughts thus awakened, stopt not merely upon facts; conjecture carried her further, and conjecture built upon probability The officiousness of Morrice in pursuing her to London, his visiting her when there, and his following and watching Delvile, she now reasonably concluded were actions directed by Mr Monckton, whose house he had but just left, and whose orders, whatever theyhimself, therefore, of the forwardness and suppleness which ence had contributed to acquaint his

The motive of such deep concerted and accuht: nor was the search long; one only could have tempted him to schemes so hazardous and costly; and, unsuspicious as she was, she no into his whole design

Long accustoard him as a safe and disinterested old friend, the respect hich, as a child, she had looked up to him, she had insensibly preserved when a woht her to consider his notice as a favour, and far fro, she had innocently courted it: and his readiness in advising and tutoring her, his frank and easy friendliness of behaviour, had kept his influence uni detected

But now the whole mystery was revealed; his aversion to the Delviles, to which hitherto she had attributed all she disapproved in his behaviour, she was convinced ths That aversion itself was by this late surmise accounted for, and no sooner did it occur to her, than a thousand circu these was the evident ill will of Lady Margaret, which though she had constantly ieneral irascibility for which her character was notorious, she had often wondered to find impenetrable to all endeavours to please or soften her His care of her fortune, his exhortations against her expences, his wish to s, all contributed to point out the selfishness of his attentions, which in one instance rendered visible, became obvious in every other

Yet various as were the incidents that now poured upon herthem took its rise from his behaviour to herself, which always had been scrupulously circuuarded, only at a season when her own distress or confusion had prevented her froered her suspicions; yet so absolute seemed the confirmation they received from every other, that her doubt was overpowered, and soon wholly extinguished