unfortunately, prevented, by a premature and unforeseen discovery of
our situation, which renders an immediate determination absolutely
unavoidable.

At this distance from him, I cannot, in time, receive his directions
upon the measures I have to take; pardon me then, Sir, if well knowing
my reference to him will not be more implicit than his own to you, I
venture, in the present important crisis of my affairs, to entreat
those commands instantly, by which I am certain of being guided
ultimately.

I would commend myself to your favour but that I dread exciting your
resentment. I will detain you, therefore, only to add, that the father
of Mr Mortimer Delvile, will ever meet the most profound respect from
her who, without his permission, dare sign no name to the honour she
now has in declaring herself his most humble, and most obedient
servant.

* * * * *

Her mind was somewhat easier when this letter was written, because she
thought it a duty, yet felt reluctance in performing it. She wished to
have represented to him strongly the danger of Delvile's hearing her
distress, but she knew so well his inordinate self-sufficiency, she
feared a hint of that sort might be construed into an insult, and
concluded her only chance that he would do any thing, was by leaving
wholly to his own suggestions the weighing and settling what.

But though nothing was more uncertain than whether she should be
received at Delvile Castle, nothing was more fixed than that she must