ward away, if this is your method of describing the place she is
going to live in."

"Is it possible," cried the Captain, advancing to Cecilia, "that
this lady has never yet tried the town?" and then, lowering his
voice, and smiling languishingly in her face, he added, "Can
anything so divinely handsome have been immured in the country? Ah!
_quelle honte!_ do you make it a principle to be so cruel?"

Cecilia, thinking such a compliment merited not any other notice
than a slight bow, turned to Lady Margaret, and said, "Should your
ladyship be in town this winter, may I expect the honour of hearing
where I may wait upon you?"

"I don't know whether I shall go or not," answered the old lady,
with her usual ungraciousness.

Cecilia would now have hastened away, but Mr Monckton, stopping her,
again expressed his fears of the consequences of her journey; "Be
upon your guard," he cried, "with all new acquaintance; judge nobody
from appearances; form no friendship rashly; take time to look about
you, and remember you can make no alteration in your way of life,
without greater probability of faring worse, than chance of faring
better. Keep therefore as you are, and the more you see of others,
the more you will rejoice that you neither resemble nor are
connected with them."

"This from you, Mr Monckton!" cried Belfield, "what is become of
your conformity system? I thought all the world was to be alike, or
only so much the worse for any variation?"