Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAP. II. An Evasion. CECILIA now for about a fortnight patted her time without incident: the Harrels continued their accuftomed diffipation, Sir Robert Floyer, without even fecking a private conference, perfeveredin his attentions, and Mr Arnott, though flill filent and humble, feemed only to live by the pleafure of beholding her. Shelpent two whole days with Mrs Delvile, both of which ferved to con- firm her admiration of that lady and of her fon; and fhc joined the parties of the Harrels, or flayed quietly at home, according to her fpirits and inclinations: whilefhe was vi- fited by Mr Monckton often enough to fa- tisfy him. with her proceedings, yet toofel- dom to betray either to herfelf or to the world any fuipicion of his defigns. Her 200 /. however, which was to have been returned at the end of the firft week, though a fortnight had now elapfed, had not even been mentioned: fhe began to grow veryimpatient, but notknowing what courfe to purfae, and wanting courage to remind Mr Barrel of his promife, fhe ftill waited the performance of. it without fpeaking. At this time, preparations were making ia the family for removing to Violet Bank to fpend the Eafkr holidays: but Cecilia, who was too much grieved at fuch perpetual en- creafe of unneceffary expences to have any enjoyment in uew profpects of entertainment, had at prefent fome bufinefs of her own which gave her full employment. The poor carpenter, whofe family fhe had taken under her protection, was juft dead, and, as foon as the laft duties had been paid him, fhe fent for his widow, and after trying to confole her for the lofs fhe had fuflfered, affured her fhe was immediately ready to fulfil the engagement into which fhe had entered, of affifting her to undertake fome better method of procuring a livelih...