"Yet you suffered me, madam, to hear from any body that you was married
and going away; and all the common servants in the house knew it before
me."

"I am amazed!" said Cecilia; "how and which way can they have heard
it?"

"The man that went to Mr Eggleston brought the first news of it, for he
said all the servants there talked of nothing else, and that their
master was to come and take possession here next Thursday."

Cecilia started at this most unwelcome intelligence; "Yet you envy me,"
she cried, "Henrietta, though I am forced from my house! though in
quitting it, I am unprovided with any other, and though him for whom I
relinquish it, is far off, without means of protecting, or power of
returning to me!"

"But you are married to him, madam!" cried she, expressively.

"True, my love; but, also, I am parted from him!"

"Oh how differently," exclaimed Henrietta, "do the great think from the
little! were _I_ married,--and _so_ married, I should want neither
house, nor fine cloaths, nor riches, nor any thing;--I should not care
where I lived,--every place would be paradise! I would walk to him
barefoot if he were a thousand miles off, and I should mind nobody else
in the world while I had him to take care of me!"

Ah Delvile! thought Cecilia, what powers of fascination are yours!