 o'clock on the following day.


THE morning at length arrived, and the friends who had so long found all the consolation their circumstances admitted of in being together, were now to part; uncertain when, or if ever, they were to meet again. Mrs. Elphinstone, sinking as she was under oppression of many present forrows and future apprehensions, yet found them all deepened by the loss of Celestina, who had so generously assisted her in supporting them: and Celestina felt, that when to soothe the spirits and strengthen the resolution of her friend was no longer her immediate task, she should dwell with more painful and more steady solicitude on her own singular and unfortunate situation.

Cathcart, warmly attached as he was to both, from gratitude and from affection, had no power to speak comfort to either. Early in the morning he had met Celestina, and gone through Willoughby's letter: but though his mind sometimes strongly resisted the idea of that relationship of which it spoke, he had nothing to offer against it; and could only sigh over the incurable unhappiness with which he saw the future days of friends he so much loved would be clouded.
Silently they all assembled round the breakfast table; but nobody could eat. Cathcart tried to talk of Jessy, of his house, of his farm, of his fortunate prospects, and of his sister's two little girls, whom he had taken home; but there was not one topic on which he could speak that did not remind him of the obligations he owed to Celestina and Willoughby, nor one idea which arose unembittered with the reflection, that they, to whom he was indebted

for all his happiness, were themselves miserable.
About twelve o'clock Vavasour came into the room in his usual way; enquired eagerly of Celestina when she went to Lady Horatia Howard's, and when he could see her there; and without waiting for an answer to his enquiry, told her that he had that morning met Sir Philip Molyneux, and that Lady Molyneux had been in town about a week. Every body who were related to Willoughby was interesting to Celestina; and from Lady Molyneux she had always supposed more might be collected than from any other person: but now her mind was too much oppressed and too much confused to allow her to distinguish her sensations, or to arrange any settled plan for her future conduct towards Lady Molyneux. She received Vavasour's information, therefore, with coldness; and indeed her manners towards him were very constrained and distant, which he either did not or would not notice; rattling on in

his
