 once more speak to me in accents of kindness."
Mr. Thorold, finding every thing he could say to dissuade Montague from indulging this unhappy inclination quite ineffectual, became extremely uneasy; and dreaded, lest some alarming consequence should arise from an interview, which he thought Willoughby could not approve, even if it were reasonable or proper in his son to ask it.
But Willoughby, now perfectly secure of the affections of Celestina, was too generous, and too noble-minded, not to feel pity for his unfortunate rival. His own happiness, great

as it was, would have been more complete, if he could have believed Montague Thorold less unhappy.—"Would to Heaven," said he, as he spoke of him to Celestina, "Would to Heaven that he could see Anzoletta, and transfer to her that affection, which, while it is fixed on you, can serve only to render him miserable."—Celestina joined most cordially in this wish.—"He deserves to be happy, I believe," said she; "and the desire you express to see him so, is worthy of the heart of my Willoughby."
But however liberal and reasonable Willoughby was in regard to a competitor, from whom, though he had suffered much, he had now nothing to fear; he was not so patient under any circumstance that was likely to impede his union with Celestina.—All that she or Lady Horatia could urge to him on the propriety and necessity of a short delay, for preparations and forms, he treated as ridiculous—and so vehemently insisted on the necessity of fulfilling the promise he had made to the Count de Bellegarde, at parting with him, to return to him immediately with Celestina as his wife—that their opposition was

to little purpose.—So totally engrossed, however, had Willoughby been by his fears lest Celestina might be lost to him, that he did not even know whether he had a house to take her to—but, as with him, all places were alike to her, he sent an express that morning to Cathcart, informing him, that he should be at Exeter the next day with Celestina, desiring him to meet him there with Jessy, and to go with them to Alvestone, if Alvestone was yet in his possession.
He dispatched another messenger to London for a special licence to be married at Alvestone, or Exeter; and obviating every remaining seruple, he prevailed on Celestina to set out with him that evening for the latter place, with the consent of Lady Horatia, who promised to follow them in a few days.
The distance was so short
