"Cecilia," cried he, putting his hand upon the chaise-door, "I have
ever believed you spotless as an angel! and, by heaven! I believe you
so still, in spite of appearances--in defiance of every thing!--Now
then be satisfied;--I will be with you very soon. Meanwhile, take this
letter, I was just going to send to you.--Postilion, drive on, or be at
your peril!"

The man waited no further orders, nor regarded the prohibition of
Cecilia, who called out to him without ceasing; but he would not listen
to her till he got to the end of the street; he then stopt, and she
broke the seal of her letter, and read, by the light of the lamps,
enough to let her know that Delvile had written it upon the road from
Dover to London, to acquaint her his mother was now better, and had
taken pity of his suspense and impatience, and insisted upon his coming
privately to England, to satisfy himself fully about Mr Monckton,
communicate his marriage to his father, and give those orders towards
preparing for its being made public, which his unhappy precipitation in
leaving the kingdom had prevented.

This letter, which, though written but a few hours before she received
it, was full of tenderness, gratitude and anxiety for her happiness,
instantly convinced her that his strange behaviour had been wholly the
effect of a sudden impulse of jealousy; excited by so unexpectedly
finding her in town, at the very house where his father had assured him
she had an improper connexion, and alone, so suspiciously, with the
young man affirmed to be her favourite. He knew nothing of the
ejectment, nothing of any reason for her leaving Suffolk, every thing
had the semblance of no motive but to indulge a private and criminal
inclination.