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"But now," cried he, "that obftacle is furmounted."

"Surmounted only for a moment! for even in your Letter this morning you confefs the regret with which it fills you."

"And why fhould I deceive you? why pretend to think with pleafure, or even with indifference, of an obftacle which has had thus long the power to make me miferable? But where is happinefs without allay? Is perfect blifs the condition of humanity? Oh if we refuse to tafte it till in its laft ftate of refinement, how fhall the cup of evil be ever from our lips?”

"How indeed!" faid Cecilia, with a figh; "the regret, I believe, will remain eternally upon your mind, and fhe, perhaps, who fhould cause, might foon be taught to partake of it."

"O Mifs Beverley! how have I merited this feverity? did I make my propofals lightly? Did I fuffer my eagerness to conquer my reafon? Have I not, on the contrary, been fleady and confiderate; neither biaffed by paffion nor betrayed by tenderness ?”

And yet in what," faid Cecilia, "confifts this boafted fteadiness? I perceived it indeed, at Delvile Caftle; but here-"

"The pride of heart which supported me there," cried he, "will fupport me no longer; what fuftained my firmness, but your apparent feverity? What enabled me

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to fly you, but your invariable coldness? The rigour with which I trampled upon my feelings I thought fortitude and fpirit,-but I knew not then the pitying fympathy of Cecilia!"

"O that you knew it not yet!" cried fhe, blushing; before the fatal accident, you thought of me, I believe, in a manner far more honourable."

"Impoffible! differently, I thought of you, but never better, never fo well as now. I then reprefented you all lovely in beauty, all perfect in goodness and virtue, but it was virtue in its higheft majefty, not, as now, blended with the fofteft fenfibility.'

"Alas!" faid Cecilia, "how the portrait is faded!"

66 No, it is but more from the life: it is the fublimity of an angel, mingled with all that is attractive in woman. But who is the friend we may venture to truft? To whom may I give bond? And from whom may I receive a treasure which for the rest of my life will conftitute all its felicity ?"

"Where can I," cried Cecilia, " find a friend, who, in this critical moment, will inftruct me how to act!"

"You will find one," answered he, "in your own bofom: afk but yourself this plain queftion will any virtue be offended by your honouring me with your hand?"

"Yes; duty will be offended, fince it is contrary to the will of your parents."

"But

"But is there no time for emancipation? Am not I of an age to choose for myself the partner of my life? Will not you in a few days be the uncontrolled mistress of your actions? Are we not both independent? Your ample fortune all your own, and the eftates of my father fo entailed, they must unavoidably be mine?"

"And are thefe," faid Cecilia, "confiderations to fet us free from our duty?"

"No, but they are circumstances to relieve us from slavery. Let me not offend you if I am still more explicit. When no law, human or divine, can be injured by our union, when one motive of pride is all that can be opposed to a thousand motives of convenience and happiness, why fhould we both be made unhappy, merely left that pride fhould lofe its gratification?"

This question, which fo often and fo angrily fhe had revolved in her own mind, again Glenced her; and Delvile, with the eagerness of approaching fuccefs, redoubled his folicitations.

"Be mine," he cried, "sweetest Cecilia, and all will go well. To refer me to my friends is, effectually, to banish me for ever. Spare me, then, the unavailing tafk; and fave me from the refiftlefs entreaties of a mother, whofe every defire I have held facred, whose wish has been my law, and whofe commands I have implicitly,

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implicitly, invariably obeyed! Oh, generously fave me from the dreadful alternative of wounding her maternal heart by a peremptory refufal, or of torturing my own with pangs to which it is unequal by an extorted obedience!"

"Alas!" cried Cecilia, "how utterly impoffible I can relieve you!"

"And why? once mine, irrevocably mine"

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No, that would but irritate,—and irritate paft hope of pardon."

"Indeed you are mistaken: to your merit they are far from infenfible, and your fortune is just what they wish. Trust me, therefore,

when I affure you that their displeasure, which both respect and justice will guard them from ever fhewing you, will foon die wholly away. I speak not merely from my hopes; in judging my own friends, I confider human nature in general. Inevitable evils are ever beft fupported. It is fufpenfe, it is hope that make the food of mifery: certainty is always endured, becaue known to be paft amendment, and felt to give defiance to ftruggling."

"And can you," cried Cecilia, "with reafoning fo defperate be fatisfied?"

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"In a fituation fo extraordinary as ours," anfwered he, "there is no other. The voice of the world at large will be all in our favour. Our union neither injures our fortunes, nor taints our morality: with the character of each

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the other is fatisfied, and both must be alike exculpated from mercenary views of intereft, or romantic contempt of poverty; what right have we, then, to repine at an objection which, however potent, is fingle? Surely none. Oh if wholly unchecked were the happiness I now have in view, if no foul ftorm fometimes lowered over the prospect, and for a moment obfcured its brightness, how could my heart find room for joy fo fuperlative? The whole world might rise against me, as the first man in it who had nothing left to wish!"

Cecilia, whofe own hopes aided this reafoning, found not much to oppose to it; and with little more of entreaty, and ftill lefs of argument, Delvile at length obtained her confent to his plan. Fearfully, indeed, and with unfeigned reluctance fhe gave it, but it was the only alternative with a feparation for ever, to which the held not the neceffity adequate to the pain.

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The thanks of Delvile were as vehement as had been his entreaties, which yet, however, were not at an end; the conceffion she had made was imperfect, unless its performance were immediate, and he now endeavoured to prevail with her to be his before the expiration of a week.

Here, however, his task ceafed to be difficult; Cecilia, as ingenuous by nature -as fhe was honourable from principle, having once brought her mind to

VOL. IV.

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