Cecilia; Or, Memoirs of an Heiress — Volume 1

by Fanny Burney

  CHAPTER viii

  A REMONSTRANCE.

  Cecilia returned home so late, that she was summoned to the diningparlour the moment she entered the house. Her morning dress, and herlong absence, excited much curiosity in Mrs Harrel, which a quicksuccession of questions evasively answered soon made general; and SirRobert Floyer, turning to her with a look of surprise, said, "If youhave such freaks as these, Miss Beverley, I must begin to enquire alittle more into your proceedings."

  "That, Sir," said Cecilia, very coldly, "would ill repay your trouble."

  "When we get her to Violet Bank," cried Mr Harrel, "we shall be able tokeep a better watch over her."

  "I hope so," answered Sir Robert; "though faith she has been so demure,that I never supposed she did any thing but read sermons. However, Ifind there's no going upon trust with women, any more than with money."

  "Ay, Sir Robert," cried Mrs Harrel, "you know I always advised you notto be quite so easy, and I am sure I really think you deserve a littleseverity, for not being more afraid."

  "Afraid of what, madam?" cried the baronet; "of a young lady's walkingout without me? Do you think I wish to be any restraint upon MissBeverley's time in a morning, while I have the happiness of waiting uponher every afternoon?"

  Cecilia was thunderstruck by this speech, which not only expressed anopen avowal of his pretensions, but a confident security of his success.She was shocked that a man of such principles should even for a momentpresume upon her favour, and irritated at the stubbornness of Mr. Harrelin not acquainting him with her refusal.

  His intimation of coming to the house for _the happiness of waiting uponher_, made her determine, without losing a moment, to seek herself anexplanation with him: while the discovery that he was included inthe Easter party, which various other concomitant causes had alreadyrendered disagreeable to her, made her look forward to that purposedexpedition with nothing but unwillingness and distaste.

  But though her earnestness to conclude this affair made her now putherself voluntarily in the way of the baronet, she found her plan alwayscounteracted by Mr. Harrel, who, with an officiousness too obvious topass for chance, constantly stopt the progress of any discourse in whichhe did not himself bear a part. A more passionate admirer might not havebeen so easily defeated; but Sir Robert, too proud for solicitation,and too indolent for assiduity, was very soon checked, because very soonwearied.

  The whole evening, therefore, to her infinite mortification, passedaway without affording her any opportunity of making known to him hismistake.

  Her next effort was to remonstrate with Mr. Harrel himself; but thisscheme was not more easy of execution than the other, since Mr. Harrel,suspecting she meant again to dun him for her money, avoided allseparate conversation with her so skilfully, that she could not find amoment to make him hear her.

  She then resolved to apply to his lady; but here her success was notbetter: Mrs. Harrel, dreading another lecture upon economy, peevishlyanswered to her request of a conference, that she was not very well, andcould not talk gravely.

  Cecilia, justly offended with them all, had now no resource but in Mr.Monckton, whose counsel for effectually dismissing the baronet, shedetermined to solicit by the first opportunity.

  The moment, therefore, that she next saw him, she acquainted him withthe speeches of Sir Robert and the behaviour of Mr. Harrel.

  There needed no rhetoric to point out to Mr. Monckton the dangerof suffering such expectations, or the impropriety of her presentsituation: he was struck with both in a manner the most forcible, andspared not for warmth of expression to alarm her delicacy, or add to herdispleasure. But chiefly he was exasperated against Mr. Harrel, assuringher there could be no doubt but that he had some particular interest inso strenuously and artfully supporting the pretensions of Sir Robert.Cecilia endeavoured to refute this opinion, which she regarded asproceeding rather from prejudice than justice; but when she mentionedthat the baronet was invited to spent the Easter holidays atViolet-Bank, he represented with such energy the consequentconstructions of the world, as well as the unavoidable encouragementsuch intimacy would imply, that he terrified her into an earnestentreaty to suggest to her some way of deliverance.

  "There is only one;" answered he, "you must peremptorily refuse to go toViolet Bank yourself. If, after what has passed, you are included in thesame party with Sir Robert, you give a sanction yourself to the reportsalready circulated of your engagements with him and the effect of sucha sanction will be more serious than you can easily imagine, since theknowledge that a connection is believed in the world, frequently, if notgenerally, leads by imperceptible degrees to its real ratification."

  Cecilia, with the utmost alacrity, promised implicitly to follow hisadvice, whatever might be the opposition of Mr Harrel. He quitted her,therefore, with unusual satisfaction, happy in his power over her mind,and anticipating with secret rapture the felicity he had in reserve fromvisiting her during the absence of the family.

  As no private interview was necessary for making known her intention ofgiving up the Easter party, which was to take place in two days' time,she mentioned next morning her design of spending the holidays in town,when Mr Harrel sauntered into the breakfast room to give some commissionto his lady.

  At first he only laughed at her plan, gaily rallying her upon her loveof solitude; but when he found it was serious, he very warmly opposedit, and called upon Mrs Harrel to join in his expostulations. That ladycomplied, but in so faint a manner, that Cecilia soon saw she did notwish to prevail; and with a concern, that cost her infinite pain, nowfinally perceived that not only all her former affection was subsidedinto indifference, but that, since she had endeavoured to abridge heramusements, she regarded her as a spy, and dreaded her as the censor ofher conduct.

  Mean while Mr Arnott, who was present, though he interfered not in thedebate, waited the event with anxiety; naturally hoping her objectionsarose from her dislike of Sir Robert, and secretly resolving tobe guided himself by her motions. Cecilia at length, tired of theimportunities of Mr Harrel, gravely said, that if he desired to hearthe reasons which obliged her to refuse his request, she was ready tocommunicate them.

  Mr Harrel, after a little hesitation, accompanied her into another room.

  She then declared her resolution not to live under the same roof withSir Robert, and very openly expressed her vexation and displeasure, thathe so evidently persisted in giving that gentleman encouragement.

  "My dear Miss Beverley," answered he, carelessly, "when young ladieswill not know their own minds, it is necessary some friend should tellit them: you were certainly very favourable to Sir Robert but a shorttime ago, and so, I dare say, you will be again, when you have seen moreof him."

  "You amaze me, Sir!" cried Cecilia: "when was I favourable to him? Hashe not always and regularly been my aversion?"

  "I fancy," answered Mr Harrel, laughing, "you will not easily persuadehim to think so; your behaviour at the Opera-house was ill calculated togive him that notion."

  "My behaviour at the Opera-house, Sir, I have already explained to you;and if Sir Robert himself has any doubts, either from that circumstanceor from any other, pardon me if I say they can only be attributed toyour unwillingness to remove them. I entreat you, therefore, totrifle with him no longer, nor to subject me again to the freedom ofimplications extremely disagreeable to me."

  "O fie, fie, Miss Beverley! after all that has passed, after his longexpectations, and his constant attendance, you cannot for a moment thinkseriously of discarding him."

  Cecilia, equally surprised and provoked by this speech, could not fora moment tell how to answer it; and Mr Harrel, wilfully misinterpretingher silence, took her hand, and said, "Come, I am sure you have toomuch, honour to make a fool of such a man as Sir Robert Floyer. Thereis not a woman in town who will not envy your choice, and I assure youthere is not a man in England I would so soon recommend to you."

  He would then have hurried her back to the next room; but, drawing awayher hand wit
h undisguised resentment, "No, Sir," she cried, "thismust not pass! my positive rejection of Sir Robert the instant youcommunicated to me his proposals, you can neither have forgotten normistaken: and you must not wonder if I acknowledge myself extremelydisobliged by your unaccountable perseverance in refusing to receive myanswer."

  "Young ladies who have been brought up in the country," returned MrHarrel, with his usual negligence, "are always so high flown in theirnotions, it is difficult to deal with them; but as I am much betteracquainted with the world than you can be, you must give me leave totell you, that if, after all, you refuse Sir Robert, it will be usinghim very ill."

  "Why will you say so, Sir?" cried Cecilia, "when it is utterlyimpossible you can have formed so preposterous an opinion. Pray hear me,however, finally, and pray tell Sir Robert--"

  "No, no," interrupted he, with affected gaiety, "you shall manage it allyour own way; I will have nothing to do with the quarrels of lovers."

  And then, with a pretended laugh, he hastily left her.

  Cecilia was so much incensed by this impracticable behaviour, thatinstead of returning to the family, she went directly to her own room.It was easy for her to see that Mr Harrel was bent upon using everymethod he could devise, to entangle her into some engagement with SirRobert, and though she could not imagine the meaning of such ascheme, the littleness of his behaviour excited her contempt, and thelong-continued error of the baronet gave her the utmost uneasiness. Sheagain determined to seek an explanation with him herself, and immovablyto refuse joining the party to Violet Bank.

  The following day, while the ladies and Mr Arnott were at breakfast, MrHarrel came into the room to enquire if they should all be ready toset off for his villa by ten o'clock the next day. Mrs Harrel and herbrother answered in the affirmative; but Cecilia was silent, and heturned to her and repeated his question.

  "Do you think me so capricious, Sir," said she, "that after telling youbut yesterday I could not be of your party, I shall tell you to-day thatI can?"

  "Why you do not really mean to remain in town by yourself?" replied he,"you cannot suppose that will be an eligible plan for a young lady. Onthe contrary, it will be so very improper, that I think myself, as yourGuardian, obliged to oppose it."

  Amazed at this authoritative speech, Cecilia looked at him with amixture of mortification and anger; but knowing it would be vain toresist his power if he was resolute to exert it, she made not anyanswer.

  "Besides," he continued, "I have a plan for some alterations in thehouse during my absence; and I think your room, in particular, will bemuch improved by them: but it will be impossible to employ any workmen,if we do not all quit the premises."

  This determined persecution now seriously alarmed her; she saw that MrHarrel would omit no expedient or stratagem to encourage the addressesof Sir Robert, and force her into his presence; and she began next toapprehend that her connivance in his conduct might be presumed upon bythat gentleman: she resolved, therefore, as the last and only effort inher power for avoiding him, to endeavour to find an accommodation at thehouse of Mrs Delvile, during the excursion to Violet Bank: and if, whenshe returned to Portman-square, the baronet still persevered in hisattendance, to entreat her friend Mr Monckton would take upon himselfthe charge of undeceiving him.