Cecilia, Volume 1 (of 3)

e she had projected, and therefore thought it most expedient to assume no singularity till her independency should enable her to support it with consistency; yet greater than ever was her interna

bring a plan for the inspection of Mr Harrel and herself, of a small temporary building, to

of an elderly woman who was standing at some distance, and seemed shivering with cold, and who, as sh

her. The poor woman continued to move forward, but with a slowness of pace that indicated extreme weakness; and, as she approached and r

at seemed fearful of its own sound, "Oh mad

feeling for her purse; "most certainly

ssured; "I was sadly afraid you would be angry, but I saw the carriage at the door, an

her purse; "no, indeed!-who could see such

t cry to hear you talk so, though I never thought t

, then, l

al too good to live, so I have qui

old to stand here, and you seem half-starved alre

the woman follow her into a parlour, desired to know what she should do for her; changing, while she s

he little thinks of our distress, because he has been afflicted with none himself, and I wo

none himself, felt again ashamed of the smallness of her intended donation, and taking from her purse

said the woman, curtsying low

ur accounts are by no means balanced! but I shall do more fo

m; but I only meant a re

hat? I don't u

ver tell you, mada

acco

let-Bank: it was the last great work my poor husband was

cried Cecilia; "what had your

I thought you might have seen

myself. Perhaps you mis

m, a'n't you his

l me, what i

account of our misfortunes, I have never received so much as a shilling! and now the servants won't even let me wait in the hall to speak to him. Oh, madam! you who seem so good, plead to his honour in our behal

mely moved, "is it then your own mo

d honest money, as his honour k

now it; but I will take care he shall soo

wenty poun

, no

or people! A hard working family, like mine, madam, with the he

paradise, and that 20 pounds only your just right, it is hard, indeed, that you should be kept without it; especially

arrel was in the library, with his sister and some gentlemen. Cecilia briefly related her business, and b

together, an

am glad you are not gone, for we want much t

have accidentally been talking, who has begged me to intercede with you to pay a little d

h an immediate change o

wife to the carpenter you employed

well, I'll see she shall be paid.

xecuted? I promised to petition fo

hurry; I don't know what

and get

three days. She deserves to wait a twelvemonth for

such a trifle as 20 pounds now or a month hence, and to this poor woman the difference seems little short of life or death, for she tells me her husband is

saw you were fresh from the country! But if you give credit to all the farragos of these

r, she carries marks but too evident and too dreadful

ricks of this sort; a sick husband and five small children are complaints so

man, whose cause I have ventured to undertake, had she no family at all, must still and indisputably be an obj

The moment she is out of your s

oes not come hither as a beggar, however well the state of beggary may accord with her poverty: she only

tants looked much disturbed; but soon recovering himsel

door. But tell me, is n

have never had ti

husband worked for you, and therefore that

ugh; she has taken care of that, for she ha

well informed of it, yet, with such total indifference, could suffer a poor woman to claim a just debt every day for nine months together, she was shocked and astonishe

staring at so absent a question, "that h

he, moving towards the door, "he

o Mr Arnott, with a countenance that appealed for his assistance; but Mr A

ough without looking Cecilia in the face,

answered

d family to starve, from an obstinate determination to assert that they can live! to distress the poor by retaining the recompense for which alone they labour, and which at last they must have, merely from indolence, forgetfulness, or insolence!

that his master begged the honor of her company up stairs. "Perhaps he re

emen, all earnestly engaged in an argument over a large table,

are very good for coming; we can settle nothing without your advice: pray lo

ruin, excited an indignation she scarce thought right to repress: while the easy sprightliness of the director of these revels, to whom but the moment before she had represented the oppression of which they made him guilty, filled her with aversion

well, and why she had put off her visit to Miss Larolles? And Sir Robert Floyer, t

n her usual manner; but she persisted in declining to give any opinion at

y displeased than he had believed an occurrence which he had regarded as wholly unimportant could have made her: and, therefore, desirous

red she, most agreeably

e the trouble to bid her

chear the poor expectant with the welcome intelligence, she framed a thousand excuses for the part he had hitherto acted

e case, for as soon as she heard his message, she shook her head, and said, "Ah, madam, his honour always says to-morrow! but I can better bear to be disappointed now, so I'll grumble no more; for indeed, madam, I have been bl

are now alive. To-morrow you will receive your money, and that, I hope, will raise your spirits. And pray let your husband have a physician,

Oh madam no! I don't come here to fleece such goodness! but blessed be the hour that b

for while she was gone, a gentleman had come

er favour. But as her benevolence was a stranger to that parade which is only liberal from emulation, when she found more money not immediately wante

f upon her visit to Miss Larolles, with a heart happy in the

ardians. The rest of the day she was more than usually civil to him, with a view to mark her approbation of his good intentions: while Mr Arnott, gra