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She now visibly, and alrew better; and, in a short time, her anxiety to know all that was passed, and by what means she became so ill, and confined in a house of which she had not any knowledge, obliged Dr Lyster to ht communicate them to her with a calmness that Delvile could not attain

Delvile himself, happy to be spared the bitter task of such a relation, informed him all he knew of the story, and then entreated hie, and he feared unpardonable conduct, and the scenes which had followed their parting

He canorant of all that had past in his absence, intending e, before he gave directions to his lawyer for the settlements and preparations which were to precede its further publication He meant, also, to satisfy himself, of the real situation of Mr Monckton, and then, after an intervieith Cecilia, to have returned to his ht publicly claim his wife

To this purpose he had written in his letter, which he meant to have put in the Post-office in London hihted from his chaise, when he met Ralph, Cecilia's servant, in the street

Hastily stopping him, he enquired if he had left his place? "No," answered Ralph, "I am only come up to toith my lady"

"With your lady?" cried the astonished Delvile, is your lady then in town?"

"Yes, sir, she is at Mrs Belfield's"

"At Mrs Belfield's?--is her daughter returned home?

"No, sir, we left her in the country"

He was then going on with a further account, but, in too much confusion of ht, and marched on himself towards Belfield's

The pleasure hich he would have heard that Cecilia was so near to him, was totally lost in his perplexity to account for her journey Her letters had never hinted at such a purpose,--the news reached hiht,--yet she was at Belfield's-- though the sister ay,--though the mother was professedly odious to her!--In an instant, all he had forarded, rushed suddenly upon his an to believe he had been deluded, that his father was right, and that Belfield had soe and improper influence over her heart

The suspicion was death to him; he drove it from him, he concluded the whole was some error: his reason as powerfully as his tenderness vindicated her innocence; and though he arrived at the house in much disorder, he yet arrived with a firm persuasion of an honourable explanation