ABSTRACT
The insipidity of Lord Squander eld’s character was a great morti cation to Lord Rivers, and no small disappointment to Lord Ravensdale himself – He had been led, by his sister Lady Elizabeth Belmont, to form a very di erent expectation of his noble guest; and as the wish nearest his heart was to see Lady Cecilia happily and suitably settled, he was sensibly touched by his failure in the present instance. To Lord Squander eld’s family or situation there could not be any objection; but to unite one of the most sensible and amiable, as well as noble and beautiful of her sex, to a man who did not know the value of such perfections, seemed to his lordship to be like Jephtha sacri cing his daughter,41 and little less impious than the immolation of virtue upon the altar of Mammon. – To this cruelty no worldly views could ever persuade him; and upon/ consulting with Lady Cecilia herself, he had the happiness to nd her sentiments entirely coinciding with his own, and that in this instance her duty went hand in hand with her inclination. Indeed this ecclaircissement42 with her father had a happy e ect upon her ladyship;for, now that she was relieved from the apprehension that Lord Squander eld’s addresses would be supported by her father’s recommendation, she recovered her usual gaiety, and appeared much more willing to entertain him, and to make his stay at Ravensdale agreeable. But in proportion as Lady Cecilia recovered her gaiety, poor Ned lost his: – he could not be long insensible to the alteration in her conduct towards Lord Squander eld; nor was he able to account for this alteration from any other motive than that of her acquiescence to the will of her father to receive his addresses – ‘Good God!’ he would say to himself, ‘she cannot love him! – A mind like hers, fraught with every virtuous, wise, and noble sentiment, can never love a man who/ (whatever may be his fortune) has a soul inferior to the hind that plows his elds, or the footman that wipes his shoes – She cannot love him – and where she cannot give her heart, honour will never let her give her hand – But, alas! why do I rave? Unhappy Edward, what is it to thee whom Cecilia loves? – Canst thou forget the di erence of your stations, or overlook the mighty gulph which nature and fortune have placed between you?’
