communicate to him but myself. He then sternly interrupted me, and
declared in high terms, that if this affair concerned _you_, he would
not listen to it. I attempted to remonstrate upon this injustice, when
he passionately broke forth into new and horrible charges against you,
affirming that he had them from authority as indisputable as ocular
demonstration. I was then certain of some foul play."--

"Foul play indeed!" cried Cecilia, who now knew but too well by whom
she had been injured. "Good heaven, how have I been deceived, where
most I have trusted!"

"I told him," continued Delvile, "some gross imposition had been
practiced upon him, and earnestly conjured him no longer to conceal
from me by whom. This, unfortunately, encreased his rage; imposition,
he said, was not so easily played upon him, he left that for _me_ who
so readily was duped; while for himself, he had only given credit to a
man of much consideration in Suffolk, who had known you from a child,
who had solemnly assured him he had repeatedly endeavoured to reclaim
you, who had rescued you from the hands of Jews at his own hazard and
loss, and who actually shewed him bonds acknowledging immense debts,
which were signed with your own hand."

"Horrible!" exclaimed Cecilia, "I believed not such guilt and perfidy
possible!"

"I was scarce myself," resumed Delvile, "while I heard him: I demanded
even with fierceness his author, whom I scrupled not to execrate as he
deserved; he coldly answered he was bound by an oath never to reveal
him, nor should he repay his honourable attention to his family by a
breach of his own word, were it even less formally engaged. I then lost