fortitude to say, "Whatever tie or obligation may be supposed to depend
upon me, I have already relinquished; and I am now ready to declare--"

"That you wholly give me up?" interrupted Delvile, "is that what you
would say?--Oh how have I offended you? how have I merited a
displeasure that can draw upon me such a sentence?--Answer, speak to
me, Cecilia, what is it I have done?"

"Nothing, Sir," said Cecilia, confounded at this language in the
presence of his mother, "you have done nothing,--but yet--"

"Yet what?--have you conceived to me an aversion? has any dreadful and
horrible antipathy succeeded to your esteem?--tell, tell me without
disguise, do you hate, do you abhor me?"

Cecilia sighed, and turned away her head; and Mrs Delvile indignantly
exclaimed, "What madness and absurdity! I scarce know you under the
influence of such irrational violence. Why will you interrupt Miss
Beverley in the only speech you ought to hear from her? Why, at once,
oppress her, and irritate me, by words of more passion than reason? Go
on, charming girl, finish what so wisely, so judiciously you were
beginning, and then you shall be released from this turbulent
persecution."

"No, madam, she must not go on!" cried Delvile, "if she does not
utterly abhor me, I will not suffer her to go on;--Pardon, pardon me,
Cecilia, but your too exquisite delicacy is betraying not only my
happiness, but your own. Once more, therefore, I conjure you to hear
me, and then if, deliberately and unbiassed, you renounce me, I will
never more distress you by resisting your decree."