icant words, he sighed deeply. I
could not help instantly connecting in my mind this sigh of
his with something which I fancied Mrs. Ernsley might have
told him of, that had fallen under her observation at Brandon;
and I said in a tone of irritation, "I know nobody whom I
would not talk to rather than to Mrs. Ernsley. She invariably
takes a wrong view of people and of things."

Edward looked at me steadily, and again I felt my cheeks
flushing; and, in my embarrassment, I exclaimed that the fire
was very hot, and got up to place a screen before it. He
helped me to carry it, and said in a whisper as he did so, "Do
not be ashamed of blushing; there is _truth_ in _that_ at
least." After this, I did not open my lips again while
breakfast lasted.

When my aunt had left the room, and my uncle was completely
engrossed by the newspaper, Edward walked to the chimney,
leant his back against it, and, taking hold of my gloves,
which were lying on the slab, he twisted them in his hand; and
then, as by a sudden effort, said, "Ellen, come here."

I obeyed, and in a voice which I felt was humble, though it
tried to be careless and gay, I said--"Give me back my gloves,
Edward; you are spoiling them."

He detained them an instant, as I took hold of them, and said
half sternly, half tenderly--"Have you nothing to say to me? I
thought last night--"

"Oh, last night, I was quite beside myself," I interrupted,
with a nervous attempt at a laugh. "I talked nonsense to
everybody, and you must not call me to account for what I may
have said or done."

"I am afraid not," he answered coldly; and, taking up a
newspaper, he sat down again at the table.

I remained standing where he had left me, with my eyes fixed
upon him, vainly endeavouring to find out some means of
appeasing him. Nothing but openness and frankness could
reinstate me in his favour: and how could I be open and frank?
What _could_ I tell him that would justify my intimacy with
Henry? or account for the agitation which his words had caused
me? Nothing; nothing short of the _truth;_ and _that_--oh! how
wearied I was with that eternal combat with myself--with that
everlasting question, so often asked, and so often answered by
my own mind. I absolutely shrunk from discussing it with
myself again.

I walked impatiently up and down the room, and when Mrs.
Middleton came in with a note in her hand, which she gave me
to read, I felt glad of anything which would break the cours