She would not have been thus concise, had not the
caution of Mr Arnott made her fear, in the present
perilous situation of affairs, to trust the secret
of Mr Harrel to paper.
The following answer was returned her from Mrs Delvile:—
To Miss Beverley, Portman-square.
The accidents you mention are not, I hope, of a very
serious nature, since I shall find difficulty insurmountable
in trying to lament them, if they are productive of
a lengthened visit from my dear Miss Beverley to her
Faithful humble servant, AUGUSTA DELVILE.
Cecilia, charmed with this note, could now no longer
forbear looking forward to brighter prospects, flattering
herself that once under the roof of Mrs Delvile, she
must necessarily be happy, let the engagements or
behaviour of her son be what they might.
A GAMESTER’S CONSCIENCE.
From this soothing prospect, Cecilia was presently
disturbed by Mrs Harrel’s maid, who came to
entreat she would hasten to her lady, whom she feared
was going into fits.
Cecilia flew to her immediately, and found her in
the most violent affliction. She used every kind
effort in her power to quiet and console her, but
it was not without the utmost difficulty she could
sob out the cause of this fresh sorrow, which indeed
was not trifling. Mr Harrel, she said, had told
her he could not possibly raise money even for his
travelling expences, without risking a discovery of
his project, and being seized by his creditors:
he had therefore charged her, through her brother
or her friend, to procure for him L3000, as less
would not suffice to maintain them while abroad, and
he knew no method by which he could have any remittances
without danger. And, when she hesitated in her
compliance, he furiously accused her of having brought
on all this distress by her negligence and want of
management, and declared that if she did not get the
money, she would only be served as she merited by
starving in a foreign gaol, which he swore would be
the fate of them both.
The horror and indignation with which Cecilia heard
this account were unspeakable. She saw evidently
that she was again to be played upon by terror and
distress, and the cautions and opinions of Mr Monckton
no longer appeared overstrained; one year’s
income was already demanded, the annuity and the
country house might next be required: she rejoiced,
however, that thus wisely forewarned, she was not liable
to surprise, and she determined, be their entreaties
or representations what they might, to be immovably
steady in her purpose of leaving them the next morning.
Yet she could not but grieve at suffering the whole
burthen of this clamorous imposition to fall upon
the soft-hearted Mr Arnott, whose inability to resist
solicitation made him so unequal to sustaining its
weight: but when Mrs Harrel was again able to
go on with her account, she heard, to her infinite
surprise, that all application to her brother had
proved fruitless. “He will not hear me,”
continued Mrs Harrel, “and he never was deaf
to me before! so now I have lost my only and last
resource, my brother himself gives me up, and there
is no one else upon earth who will assist me!”
