Cer. One thing, Sir, let me fay before you proceed; if your purpofe has not the fanction of Mrs. Delvill, as well as your vifit, I would be excufed from hearing it, for I fhall most cer tainly refuse it. Delv. I would mention nothing without her concurrence, fhe has given it; and my father has also consented to my prefent application. Gec. (clafping her hands in joy) Is it poffible? Delv. Is it poffible? With what emotions do I hear thefe words? Ah, Mifs Beverly! once my own Cecilia ! do you, can you wish it were poffible? Cec. No, no, I wish nothing about it. Yet tell me how it has happened-I am curious (miling) tho not interested in it. Delv. What hope would this fweetness give me, was my fcheme any other than it is! But you cannot-no, it would be unreafonable-it would be madness to expect your compli ance! It is next to madness in me to wifh it! But how shall a man who is defperate be prudent and circumfpect? Cec. Spare yourself, Sir, this unneceffary pain. You will find in me no unneceffary fcruples. Delv. You know not what you fay, Madam, All noble as you are, the facrifice I have to propofe- Cec, Name it, Sir, with confidence, I will not difguife-but frankly own that I will agree to any facrifice you will mention, provided it has Mrs. Delvill's approbation. Delo, What words are thefe? Is it Mifs Beverly that fpeaks? Cec. What can I fay more? Muft I offer this pledge too? (holding out her hand.) Delv. My dear Cecilia, how happy this makes me (taking ber band) for my life I would not refign it. Yet how foon will you withdraw it, when you know that the only terms on which I can hold it are, that this hand muft fign away your inheritance. Ce. I do not comprehend this, Sir. Delv. Can you for my fake make fuch a facrifice as this? I am not permitted to give up my name for yours ; can you re nounce your unc's fortune, as you muft if you renounce your name, and confent to fuch fettlements as I can make upon you? Will thefe, and your own paternal inheritance of ten thousand pounds, fatisfy your expectations of living? Gec. (Turning pale and drawing back her hand) O, Mr. Del vill, your words pierce me to the foul. Deln. Have I offended you, Madam? Pardon me, then, for indulging a romantic whim which your better judgment difapproves. My prefumption deferves this mortification. Cec. You know not then my inability to comply? Delv. Your ability or inability, I prefume, depends on your own will. Cec. No, Sir, by no means, my power is loft-my fortune alas, is gone. Delv. Impoffible! utterly impoffible ! Cec. Would to heaven it were otherwife! But it is too true, and your father knows it. Delv. My father ! Cec. Did he never hint it to you? Delv. Distraction! what horrible conformation is coming! (paufing) You only, Mifs Beverly, could have made this credible! Cec. Had you then actually heard it? Delv. I had indeed heard it, as the most infamous falfehood. My heart fwelled with indignation at fuch flander. Ces. Oh, Sir, the fact is undeniable; tho the circumftances you may have heard with it may be exaggerated. Delo. That indeed must have been the cafe. I was told that your parental fortune was totally exhaufted, and that during your minority you had been a dealer with Jews! All this I was told from my father, or I could not have been made to hear it. Cec. Thus far he told you nothing but truth. Delu. Truth! (farting) Never, then, was truth fo fcandaloufly wronged! I denied the whole report 1 difbelieved every fyllable! I pledged my own honor to prove every affertion falfe. Cec. Generous Delvill; this is what I might expect from you. (Weeping.) Delo. Why does Mifs Beverly weep? Why has the given me this alarm? These things mult at least have been misrepre fented. Will you condefcend to unravel to me this myfterious affair? Cec. Alas, Sir, the unfortunate Mr. Harrel! He has been the cause of my loffes. You know his love of gaming, a paf. fion which led him to his fatal end. In his embarraffments he came to me for affiftance. He was my guardian; what could I do? I yielded to his entreaties, and repeatedly took up mo ney of a Jew, upon the credit of my eftate, until the whole was pledged. If it was a fault, I know you will afcribe it to the real motive, and pardon it. Delv. My dear Cecilia, I thank you fincerely for this account of your misfortunes; altho it fills my heart with anguish. How will my mother be fhocked to hear a confirmation of the report the had heard! How irritated at your injuries from Harrel! How grieved that your generofity fhould bring upon your character fo many vile afperfions? Cec. I have been of too eafy a difpofition-too unguardedyet always, at the moment, I feemed guided by common humanity. But I tho't myfelt fecure of wealth; and while the revenue of my uncle infured me profperity, I cho't little of my own fortune. Could I have forefeen this moment Delv. Would you then have liftened to my romantic propofal? Cec. Could I have hefitated? Delv. Molt generous of beings, ftill then be mine! By our economy we will make favings to pay off our mortgages and clear our estates. I will ftill keep my name, to which my fam ily is bigoted; and my gratitude for your compliance fhall make you forget what you lofe by the change of yours, Scene between CECILIA BEVERLY and a GENTLEMAN. Gent. I PRESUME, Madam, you are the lady of this house. Cec. My name, Sir? Gent. You will do me a favor by telling it me. Cec. Is it poffible, Sir, you are come hither without already knowing it? Gent. I know it only by common report, Madam. Cec. Common report, Sir, I believe is feldom wrong in a matter where it is fo eafy to be right. Gent. Have you any objections, Madam, to telling me your name? Cec. No, Sir, but your business can hardly be very import ant, if you are yet to learn whom you are to addrefs. It will be time enough, therefore, for us to meet, when you have ellewhere learnt my name. (Going.) Gent. I beg, Madam, you will have patience; it is neceffary before I can open my business that I should hear your name from yourself. Cec. Why, Sir, I think you can fcarcely have come to this houfe, without knowing that its owner is Cecilia Beverly. Gent. That, Madam, is your maiden name." Cec. My maiden name! (surprized.) Gent. It is more properly, Madam, the name of your huf. band that I mean to afk. Cec. And by what authority, Sir, do you make these extraOrdinary enquiries? Gent. I am deputed, Madam, by Mr. Eggleston, who is next heir to your uncle's eftate, if you die without children, or change your name when you marry. I am authorised by letter of attorney from him to make thefe enquiries, and I prefume; Madam, you will not deny his authority. He has been credi bly informed you are married; and as you continue to be called Mifs Beverly, he wishes to know your intentions, as he is deeply interested in knowing the truth. Cec. This demand, Sir, is fo extremely-(stammering)-fo fo little expected Gent. The better way, Madam, in thefe cafes, is to keep clofe to the point-Are you married, or are you not? Cec. This is dealing very plainly, indeed, Sir. But Gent. It is, Madam, and very feriously too; but it is a bui finefs of no flight concern. Mr. Egglefton has a large family and a small fortune, and that very much encumbered. It can not, therefore, be expected that he will fee himfelf wronged, by your enjoying an eftate to which he is entitled. Cec. Mr. Egglefton, Sir, has nothing to fear from impofitiThose with whom he has or may have any tranfactions in this affair, are not used to practice fraud. on. Gent. I am far from meaning any offence, Madam; mỹ commiffion from Mr. Egglefton is fimply this; to beg you will fatisfy him upon what ground you now evade the will of your late uncle; which, till explained, appears to be a point much to his prejudice. Cec. Tell him then, Sir, that whatever he wishes to know, fhall explained in about a week. At prefent I can give no other answer. Gent. Very well, Madam, he will wait till that time, I am fure; for he does not wish to put you to any inconvenience. But when he heard the Gentleman was gone abroad without owning his marriage, he thought it high time to take fome no. tice of the matter, Cec. Pray, Sir, let me afk, how you came to the knowledge of this affair? Π Gent. I heard it, Madam, from Mr. Eggleston himself, who has long known it. Cec. Long, Sir-impoffible it is not yet a fortnightnot ten days, or pot more, that Gent. That, Madam, may perhaps be difputed; for when this business comes to be fettled, it will be very effentia! to be exact as to the time, even to the very hour; for the income of the estate ir large, Madam, and if your husband keeps his own name, you mult not only give up your uncle's inheritance, from the time of changing your name, but refund the profits from the very day of your marriage. Cec. There is not the least doubt of that, nor will the leaft difficulty be made. Gent. Please then to recollect, Madam, that the fum to be refunded is every hour increafing, and has been ever fince laft September, which made half a year to be accounted for laft March, Since then there is now added Cec. For mercy's fake, Sir, what calculations are you mak. ing out? Do you call last week, last September ? Gent. No, Madam; but I call laft September the month in which you were married. Cec. You will then find yourfelf extremely mistaken; and Mr. Eggleston is preparing himself for much difappointment, if he fuppofes me fo long in arrears with him. Gent. Mr. Egglefton, Madam, happens to be well informed of this tranfaction, as you will find, if any dispute fhould arise in the cafe. He was the next occupier of the house you hired laft September; the woman who kept it, informed him that the laft perfon who hired it was a lady who ftayed one day only, and came to town, fhe found, merely to be married. On enquiry, he difcovored that this lady was Mifs Beverly. Cec. You will find that all this, Sir, will end in nothing. Gent. That, Madam, remains to be proved. If a young lady is feen--and he was feen, going into church at eight o'clock in the morning, with a young gentleman and one female friend; and is afterwards feen coming out of it followed by a clergyman and one other perfon-and is feen to get into a coach with the fame young gentleman and female friend; why, the circumftances are pretty ftrong! Cec. They may feem fo, Sir; but all conclufions drawn from them will be erroneous: I was not married then upon my honor. Gent. We have little to do, Madam, with profeffions; the |