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"Has Mortimer, then," cried she with eagerness, "been strictly honourable? has he neither beguiled nor betrayed you?" "No, madam," said she, blushing, "I have nothing to reproach him with." "Then he is indeed my son!" cried Mrs Delvile, with emotion; "had he been treacherous to you, while disobedient to us, I had indisputably renounced him."
"I have promised Miss Beverley, madam," said Mr Delvile to his lady, "that you would give her a kind reception; and I need not remind you that my promises are always held sacred." "But I hope you have not also promised," cried she, with quickness, "that I should give you a kind reception, for I feel at this very moment extremely inclined to quarrel with you." "Why so, madam?"
But last week, when I was at the Castle, where I have for some time attended Mr Delvile, who has had a severe fit of the gout, I found him in an agitation of spirits that made me apprehend it would be thrown into his stomach.
"Hot-headed young man!" interrupted Mrs Delvile, with an air of haughty displeasure, "if you cannot be rational, at least be silent. Miss Beverley, we will both leave him."
This was agreed upon, and they left the room: and then Lady Honoria, full of frolic and gaiety, seized one of the napkins, and protested she would send it to Mortimer for a slabbering-bib: she therefore made it up in a parcel, and wrote upon the inside of the paper with which she enveloped it, "A pin-a fore for Master Mortimer Delvile, lest he should daub his pappy when he is feeding him."
"But how has Mr Delvile offended you, that with him only you seem to have no commerce or communication?" "Mr Delvile!" repeated Cecilia, still more surprised, "are you also acquainted with Mr Delvile?"
She looked, however, to no purpose; no prohibiter appeared, the ceremony was performed without any interruption, and she received the thanks of Delvile, and the congratulations of the little set, before the idea which had so strongly pre-occupied her imagination, was sufficiently removed from it to satisfy her she was really married.
After the first compliments were over, while she was considering in what manner to introduce her proposal, Mrs Delvile herself led to the subject, by saying, "I am very sorry to hear we are so soon to lose you; but I hope Mr Harrel does not intend to make any long stay at his villa; for if he does, I shall be half tempted to come and run away with you from him."
And she hurried from beneath the tree; and Delvile perceiving one of the servants approach with an umbrella, went forward to take it from him, and directed him to hasten instantly to Lady Honoria. Then returning to Cecilia, he would have held it over her head, but with an air of displeasure, she took it into her own hand. "Will you not let me carry it for you?" he cried.
She made not any answer; but still, though tottering as much from emotion as Mrs Charlton from infirmity, she walked on. "Why did you stop the ceremony, Sir?" cried Delvile, impatiently speaking to the clergyman. "No ceremony, Sir," he returned, "could proceed with such an interruption."
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