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The day following this happy intellectual arrangeentleman, who had enquired for her immediately after the Harrels went to their villa, and who had flattered hie fros and confidential discourses, suffered the severest mortification when he found that her stay in town rendered her not the less inaccessible to him, since he had no personal acquaintance with the Delviles, and could not venture to present himself at their house
He was now received by her withto her since she had conversed with hier to ask his counsel and assistance in her affairs She related to hio to St Jaible obstinacy hich Mr Harrel still continued to encourage the addresses of Sir Robert Floyer; she earnestly entreated hient in a business to which she was unequal, by expostulating in her cause with Mr Harrel, and by calling upon Sir Robert hi his unauthorised pretensions
Mr Monckton listened eagerly to her account and request, and when she had finished, assured her he would deliberate upon each circuh every method he could devise, to extricate her frorew far too serious to be safely neglected
"I will not, however," continued he, "either act or give my opinion without further enquiry, as I am confident there is a mystery in this business which lies deeper than we can at present fathom Mr Harrel has doubtless purposes of his own to answer by this pretended zeal for Sir Robert; nor is it difficult to conjecture what they ht cast, is a mere cover, a mere name, to conceal a connection which has its basis solely in the licentious convenience of borrowinghouse, andtheir ard for each other is equally holloith their regard for truth and integrity"
He then cautioned her to be extremely careful with respect to any ance he assured her was universally known to exceed his fortune
The countenance of Cecilia during this exhortation was testi eyes of Mr Monckton that his advice came not too soon: a suspicion of the real state of the case speedily occurred to him, and he questioned herhim any answer, but his discernment was too keen for her inartificial evasion, and he very soon gathered all the particulars of her transactions with Mr Harrel