 awakened, now taught him to fancy, that from the moment of Celestina's acquaintance with Montague Thorold, her letters had become gradually cooller, and that the last too plainly evinced her cheerful acquiescence to that reluctant and only conditional resignation, which be had with so much anguish of heart been compelled to send her, while he explained the cruel circumstances

that had torn him from her and from happiness.
The longer he dwelt on her letters, the more this idea was strengthened, and the more insupportable it became. His illness, originally occasioned by anxiety, returned upon him; and though without delirium, his fever was nearly as high as when he was in so much danger at Paris.
He now determined to send to Lady Horatia Howard; and he attempted to write to her. But he could hardly command his pen, and found himself wholly unequal to the more difficult task of composing such a letter as could alone be proper. He threw away the paper in despair; and calling his servant, ordered him to find out immediately some means of becoming acquainted with the servants of Lady Horatia Howard, and procure intelligence of what visitors were most at the house, particularly if a Mr. Thorold of Devonshire was there often.

The man hastened to enter on a task by no means difficult to him. He contrived the same afternoon to introduce himself to one of the footmen of Lady Horatia at the porter house he frequented, and learned that his mistress and her young friend, of whom he spoke as of an angel, were gone for a fortnight or three weeks on a visit into Oxfordshire; that Mr. Vavasour used to be a good deal at the house when first Lady Horatia came to town; that now he was much less frequently there; but that Mr. Thorold was there almost every day, and read to the ladies whole evenings; who, since these reading parties at home, went much less into public than they had done before.
This intelligence distracted Willoughby by redoubling every apprehension he had felt. The man, however, was sent back for further information, and bade to ask if Mr. Thorold was of their party in their present journey, and if there was any talk

among the servants of an intended marriage between him and Miss De Mornay.
In answer to these queries, he had the mortification of hearing that Montague Thorold was to meet the ladies at Oxford; and that it was, in the family, generally understood that he was the accepted lover of Celestina, and highly approved by Lady Horatia.
It was now that the corrosive jealousy that had long tormented him had
