right, after all, to be pleased his own way, and let us blame him how
we will, we shall find, upon sifting, it is for no other reason but
because his humour happens to clash with our own."

"That, indeed," said Cecilia, smiling, "is a truth incontrovertible!
and a truth to which, for the future, I will endeavour to give more
weight. But will you permit me now to ask one question?--Can you tell
me from whom, how, or when the intelligence which has caused all this
disturbance---"

She hesitated, but, comprehending her readily, he answered "How they
got at it, I never heard, for I never thought it worth while to
enquire, as it is so generally known, that nobody I meet with seems
ignorant of it."

This was another, and a cruel shock to Cecilia, and Dr Lyster,
perceiving it, again attempted to comfort her. "That the affair is
somewhat spread," said he, "is now not to be helped, and therefore
little worth thinking of; every body will agree that the choice of both
does honour to both, and nobody need be ashamed to be successor to
either, whenever the course of things leads Mr Mortimer and yourself to
make another election. He wisely intends to go abroad, and will not
return till he is his own man again. And as to you, my good young lady,
what, after a short time given to vexation, need interrupt your
happiness? You have the whole world before you, with youth, fortune,
talents, beauty and independence; drive, therefore, from your head this
unlucky affair, and remember there can hardly be a family in the
kingdom, this one excepted, that will not rejoice in a connection with
you."