And then, wishing her good night, she added, “I
make not any apology for this detail, which you owe,
not, believe me, to a mother’s folly, but, if
I [know] myself at all, to a love of truth and justice.
Mortimer, independent of all connection with me, cannot
but to every body appear of a character which may
be deemed even exemplary; calumny, therefore, falling
upon such a subject, injures not only himself but
society, since it weakens all confidence in virtue,
and strengthens the scepticism of depravity.”
She then left her.
“Ah!” thought Cecilia, “to me, at
least, this solicitude for his fame needs no apology!
humane and generous Delvile! never, again, will I a
moment doubt your worthiness!” And then, cherishing
that darling idea, she forgot all her cares and apprehensions,
her quarrel, her suspicions, and the approaching separation,
and, recompensed for every thing by this refutation
of his guilt, she hastened to bed, and composed herself
to rest.
A CONFERENCE.
Early the next morning Cecilia had a visit from Lady
Honoria, who came to tell her story her own way, and
laugh at the anxiety of Mrs Delvile, and the trouble
she had taken; “for, after all,” continued
she, “what did the whole matter signify? and
how could I possibly help the mistake? when I heard
of his paying for a woman’s board, what was
so natural as to suppose she must be his mistress?
especially as there was a child in the case.
O how I wish you had been with us! you never saw such
a ridiculous sight in your life; away we went in the
chaise full drive to the cottage, frightening all
the people almost into fits; out came the poor woman,
away ran the poor man,—both of them thought
the end of the world at hand! The gipsey was best
off, for she went to her old business, and began begging.
I assure you, I believe she would be very pretty if
she was not so ill, and so I dare say Mortimer thought
too, or I fancy he would not have taken such care of
her.”
“Fie, fie, Lady Honoria! will nothing bring
conviction to you?”
“Nay, you know, there’s no harm in that,
for why should not pretty people live as well as ugly
ones? There’s no occasion to leave nothing
in the world but frights. I looked hard at the
baby, to see if it was like Mortimer, but I could
not make it out; those young things are like nothing.
I tried if it would talk, for I wanted sadly to make
it call Mrs Delvile grandmama; however, the little
urchin could say nothing to be understood. O
what a rage would Mrs Delvile have been in! I
suppose this whole castle would hardly have been thought
heavy enough to crush such an insolent brat, though
it were to have fallen upon it all at a blow!”
Thus rattled this light-hearted lady till the family
was assembled to breakfast; and then Cecilia, softened
towards Delvile by newly-excited admiration, as well
as by the absence which would separate them the following
day, intended, by every little courteous office in
her power, to make her peace with him before his departure:
but she observed, with much chagrin, that Mrs Delvile
never ceased to watch her, which, added to an air
of pride in the coldness of Delvile, that he had never
before assumed, discouraged her from making the attempt,
and compelled her to seem quiet and unconcerned.
