two days, the entertainment which Mr Harrel had planned, to deceive
the world by an appearance of affluence to which he had lost all
title, was to take place; young Delvile, in common with every other
person who had ever been seen at the house, had early received an
invitation, which he had readily promised to accept some time before
the conversation that seemed the period of their acquaintance had
passed. Should he, after being so long engaged, fail to keep his
appointment, she could no longer have any doubt of the justice of her
conjecture; should he, on the contrary, again appear, from his
behaviour and his looks she might perhaps be able to gather why he had
so long been absent.



BOOK V.



CHAPTER i.

A ROUT.


The day at length arrived of which the evening and the entrance of
company were, for the first time, as eagerly wished by Cecilia as by
her dissipated host and hostess. No expence and no pains had been
spared to render this long projected entertainment splendid and
elegant; it was to begin with a concert, which was to be followed by a
ball, and succeeded by a supper.