 you would know how little concealment and dissimulation are in my nature. My dear Miss De Mornay, I have faithfully related to you all I know of our friend, and even my half formed doubts I have not attempted to conceal from you: be now equally ingenuous with me, and tell me, whether you think your present situation is either the most pleasant or the most eligible you could possibly chuse."
"It is not pleasant," answered Celestina, "because I am not mistress of my time;

but it is eligible surely, because Willoughby himself in some measure placed me in it, and it is to his wishes I am to attend while he is yet interested about me, and not to the vague and unfounded reports of people who care nothing whether I am happy or miserable, so long as they have something to talk of."
"But reflect a moment whether Willoughby, when he mentioned his desire of your continuing here, was aware that Captain Thorold would therefore remain at home all the summer, or that Montague Thorold would chuse to make you the object of his romantic passion, and the subject of his poetical panegyric: you cannot but know that he does both; and were you wilfully blind to it, his behaviour to-day would have sufficiently convinced me."
Celestina could not deny his extreme particularity in company, and his private declarations were less equivocal: without however acknowledging either to Vavasour, she said in general, that for many reasons

she should not be displeased to change her residence if she knew whither to go.
Vavasour then began to lament that he had no mother, no sister, of whose friendly reception of her he could be assured; "but," added he, "my dear Miss De Mornay, give me a day or two, and some proper place will perhaps occur to me, or rather to an excellent female friend whom I will apply to. In the mean time I will see Cathcart, as I propose to ride over to Alvestone to-morrow, and we will talk the business over together." He then took her hand, and in a manner more tender and less lively than was usual with him, asked her if she would pardon him for any thing he might have said to give her pain. Celestina assured him she could not forgive because she had never been offended, but that she must ever be greatly obliged to him for the friendly part he had taken; and then, fearing that some invidious remarks might be made by the company they had left if they were any longer absent, she desired

Vavasour to
