"Heaven bless you, my child!" he said, his voice trembling as he spoke. "I have wronged you bitterly in thought; but you must pardon me. I came, thinking to meet an ambitious aspiring woman; but I find an angel. Would to heaven that it could have been otherwise--or," he muttered, "that this pride was humbled! I feel," he continued aloud, "that I am playing a hard part; but you will forgive me." Ella turned her face towards him with a sad and weary smile, and then one arm was thrown over Mrs Brandon's shoulder, the little head drooped down as droops some storm-beaten flower, and, as it touched Mrs Brandon's breast, there was a faint gasping sigh, and Sir Philip started forward. "You had better leave us, Sir Philip Vining," said Mrs Brandon gravely; "the poor child has fainted." And pale, trembling, and looking years older, Sir Philip walked with tottering steps to the door, paused, looked round, came back, and then kneeling, pressed his lips twice upon Ella's glossy hair, before, with a sigh, he tore himself away, and was rapidly driven off. At that self-same hour, light-hearted and hopeful, Charley Vining mounted his favourite mare to ride over to Laneton. Volume 2, Chapter XI. KITCHEN CANVASSING. "Now do tell us, there's a dear man," said cook, alias Sarah Stock, to Edward, the hard-faced footman, as he sat in front of the kitchen fire at Copse Hall, gently rubbing his shins and ruminating; while the housemaid, with her workbox on the table, was pretending to be busy over some piece of useful needlework, though she was watching Edward the hard-faced with all her might.