They then parted to dress for dinner.

The company of this evening were again all strangers to Cecilia,
except Miss Leeson, who was seated next to her, and whose frigid
looks again compelled her to observe the same silence she so
resolutely practised herself. Yet not the less was her internal
surprise that a lady who seemed determined neither to give nor
receive any entertainment, should repeatedly chuse to show herself
in a company with no part of which she associated.

Mr Arnott, who contrived to occupy the seat on her other side,
suffered not the silence with which her fair neighbour had infected
her to spread any further: he talked, indeed, upon no new subject;
and upon the old one, of their former sports and amusements, he had
already exhausted all that was worth being mentioned; but not yet
had he exhausted the pleasure he received from the theme; it seemed
always fresh and always enchanting to him; it employed his thoughts,
regaled his imagination, and enlivened his discourse. Cecilia in
vain tried to change it for another; he quitted it only by
compulsion, and returned to it with redoubled eagerness.

When the company was retired, and Mr Arnott only remained with the
ladies, Cecilia, with no little surprise, inquired for Mr Harrel,
observing that she had not seen him the whole day.

"O!" cried his lady, "don't think of wondering at that, for it
happens continually. He dines at home, indeed, in general, but
otherwise I should see nothing of him at all."

"Indeed? why, how does he fill up his time?"