establishment."

This was not a preface much to enliven Cecilia; it prepared her for
such speeches as she was least willing to hear, and gave to her the
mixt and painful sensation of spirits depressed, with ride alarmed.

"My numerous engagements," he continued, "and the appropriation of my
time, already settled, to their various claims, must make me brief in
what I have to represent, and somewhat, perhaps, abrupt in coming to
the purpose. But that you will excuse."

Cecilia disdained to humour this arrogance by any compliments or
concessions: she was silent, therefore; and when they were both seated,
he went on.

"You are now at a time of life when it is natural for young women to
wish for some connection: and the largeness of your fortune will remove
from you such difficulties as prove bars to the pretensions, in this
expensive age, of those who possess not such advantages. It would have
been some pleasure to me, while I yet considered you as my Ward, to
have seen you properly disposed of: but as that time is past, I can
only give you some general advice, which you may follow or neglect as
you think fit. By giving it, I shall satisfy myself; for the rest, I am
not responsible."

He paused; but Cecilia felt less and less inclination to make use of
the opportunity by speaking in her turn.

"Yet though, as I just now hinted, young women of large fortunes may
have little trouble in finding themselves establishments, they ought