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His son, however, did not merely want application and fortitude to becoe; his deliberation, therefore, was hasty, and his resolution improvident; he determined to continue at the Temple himself, while the shop, which he could by no means afford to relinquish, should be kept up by another na thus to secure and enjoy its emoluments, without either the trouble or the humiliation of attendance

But this scheme, likebut mortification and disappointment: the shop which under old Mr Belfield had been flourishing and successful, and enriched himself and all his family, could now scarce support the expences of an individual Without a ent attention to its prosperity which the interest of possession alone can give, and the authority of a principal alone can enforce, it quickly lost its faoods, and soon after its customers from the report of its declension The produce, therefore, diminished every month; he was surprised, he was provoked; he was convinced he was cheated, and that his affairs were neglected; but though he threatened from time to time to enquire into the real state of the business, and investigate the cause of its decay, he felt himself inadequate to the task; and now first la hie of it while he had youth and opportunity, h certain of i suggestions in his hours of retireeneral course of his life; he was still the darling of his friends, and the leader in all parties, and still, though his income was lessened, his expences encreased

Such were his circumstances at the time Cecilia first saw him at the house of Mr Monckton: from which, two days after her arrival in town, he was hient had suddenly left the kingdom

The fatal consequence of this fraudulent elopement was immediate bankruptcy

His spirits, however, did not yet fail him; as he had never been the nominal master of the shop, he escaped all dishonour fron what remained to the mercy of the creditors, so that his own name should not appear in the Gazette

Three of his sisters were already extremely well married to reputable tradesle were settled with two of those ere est, resided with her mother, who had a coton