What! cried Mr Monckton, with some emotion, are there not sharpers, fortune-hunters, sycophants, wretches of all sorts and denominations, who watch the approach of the rich and unwary, feed upon their inexperience, and prey upon their property?
Come, come, cried Mr Harrel, it is time I should hasten my fair ward away, if this is your method of describing the place she is going to live in.
Is it possible, cried the Captain, advancing to Cecilia, that this lady has never yet tried the town? and then, lowering his voice, and smiling languishingly in her face, he added, Can anything so divinely handsome have been immured in the country? Ah! quelle honte! do you make it a principle to be so cruel?
Cecilia, thinking such a compliment merited not any other notice than a slight bow, turned to Lady Margaret, and said, Should your ladyship be in town this winter, may I expect the honour of hearing where I may wait upon you?
I dont know whether I shall go or not, answered the old lady, with her usual ungraciousness.
Cecilia would now have hastened away, but Mr Monckton, stopping her, again expressed his fears of the consequences of her journey; Be upon your guard, he cried, with all new acquaintance; judge nobody from appearances; form no friendship rashly; take time to look about you, and remember you can make no alteration in your way of life, without greater probability of faring worse, than chance of faring better. Keep therefore as you are, and the more you see of others, the more you will rejoice that you neither resemble nor are connected with them.
This from you, Mr Monckton! cried Belfield, what is become of your conformity system? I thought all the world was to be alike, or only so much the worse for any variation?
I spoke, said Mr Monckton, of the world in general, not of this lady in particular; and who that knows, who that sees her, would not wish it were possible she might continue in every respect exactly and unalterably what she is at present?
I find, said Cecilia, you are determined that flattery at least, should I meet with it, shall owe no pernicious effects to its novelty.
Well, Miss Beverley, cried Mr Harrel, will you now venture to accompany me to town? Or has Mr Monckton frightened you from proceeding any farther?
If, replied Cecilia, I felt no more sorrow in quitting my friends, than I feel terror in venturing to London, with how light a heart should I make the journey!
Brava! cried Belfield, I am happy to find the discourse of Mr Monckton has not intimidated you, nor prevailed upon you to deplore your condition in having the accumulated misery of being young, fair and affluent.
Alas! poor thing! exclaimed the old gentleman who sat in the corner, fixing his eyes upon Cecilia with an expression of mingled grief and pity.
Cecilia started, but no one else paid him any attention.
The usual ceremonies of leave-taking now followed, and the Captain, with most obsequious reverence, advanced to conduct Cecilia to the carriage; but in the midst of the dumb eloquence of his bows and smiles, Mr Morrice, affecting not to perceive his design, skipped gaily between them, and, without any previous formality, seized the hand of Cecilia himself; failing not, however, to temper the freedom of his action by a look of respect the most profound.
The Captain shrugged and retired. But Mr Monckton, enraged at his assurance, and determined it should nothing avail him, exclaimed, Why how now, Morrice, do you take away the privilege of my house?
True, true; answered Morrice, you members of parliament have an undoubted right to be tenacious of your privileges. Then, bowing with a look of veneration to Cecilia, he resigned her hand with an air of as much happiness as he had taken it.
Mr Monckton, in leading her to the chaise, again begged permission to wait upon her in town: Mr Harrel took the hint, and entreated him to consider his house as his own; and Cecilia, gratefully thanking him for his solicitude in her welfare, added, And I hope, sir, you will honour me with your counsel and admonitions with respect to my future conduct, whenever you have the goodness to let me see you.
This was precisely his wish. He begged, in return, that she would treat him with confidence, and then suffered the chaise to drive off.
CHAPTER iii. AN ARRIVAL
As soon as they lost sight of the house, Cecilia expressed her surprise at the behaviour of the old gentleman who sat in the corner, whose general silence, seclusion from the company, and absence of mind, had strongly excited her curiosity.
Mr Harrel could give her very little satisfaction: he told her that he had twice or thrice met him in public places, where everybody remarked the singularity of his manners and appearance, but that he had never discoursed with anyone to whom he seemed known; and that he was as much surprised as herself in seeing so strange a character at the house of Mr Monckton.
The conversation then turned upon the family they had just quitted, and Cecilia warmly declared the good opinion she had of Mr Monckton, the obligations she owed to him for the interest which, from her childhood, he had always taken in her affairs; and her hopes of reaping much instruction from the friendship of a man who had so extensive a knowledge of the world.
Mr Harrel professed himself well satisfied that she should have such a counsellor; for though but little acquainted with him, he knew he was a man of fortune and fashion, and well esteemed in the world. They mutually compassionated his unhappy situation in domestic life, and Cecilia innocently expressed her concern at the dislike Lady Margaret seemed to have taken to her; a dislike which Mr Harrel naturally enough imputed to her youth and beauty, yet without suspecting any cause more cogent than a general jealousy of attractions of which she had herself so long outlived the possession.
As their journey drew near to its conclusion, all the uneasy and disagreeable sensations which in the bosom of Cecilia had accompanied its commencement, gave way to the expectation of quick approaching happiness in again meeting her favourite young friend.
Mrs Harrel had in childhood been her playmate, and in youth her school-fellow; a similarity of disposition with respect to sweetness of temper, had early rendered them dear to each other, though the resemblance extended no farther, Mrs Harrel having no pretensions to the wit or understanding of her friend; but she was amiable and obliging, and therefore sufficiently deserving affection, though neither blazing with attractions which laid claim to admiration, nor endowed with those superior qualities which mingle respect in the love they inspire.
From the time of her marriage, which was near three years, she had entirely quitted Suffolk, and had had no intercourse with Cecilia but by letter. She was now just returned from Violet Bank, the name given by Mr Harrel to a villa about twelve miles from London, where with a large party of company she had spent the Christmas holidays.
Their meeting was tender and affectionate; the sensibility of Cecilias heart flowed from her eyes, and the gladness of Mrs Harrels dimpled her cheeks.
As soon as their mutual salutations, expressions of kindness, and general inquiries had been made, Mrs Harrel begged to lead her to the drawing-room, where, she added, you will see some of my friends, who are impatient to be presented to you.
I could have wished, said Cecilia, after so long an absence, to have passed this first evening alone with you.
They are all people who particularly desired to see you, she answered, and I had them by way of entertaining you, as I was afraid you would be out of spirits at leaving Bury.