one after
one
She would have been very glad if he had kept on in his ignorance ; it was so keenly painful to be in the company of one the sight of whom , even at a distance , had brought her such a keen remembrance of past misery ; and when told of his call , as she was sitting at her sewing in the dining-room , she had to nerve herself for the interview before going upstairs into the drawing-room , where he was being entertained by Miss Monro with warm demonstrations of welcome . A little contraction of the brow , a little compression of the lips , an increased pallor on Ellinor 's part , was all that Miss Monro could see in her , though she had put on her glasses with foresight and intention to observe . She turned to the canon ; his colour had certainly deepened as he went forwards with out-stretched hand to meet Ellinor . That was all that was to be seen ; but on the slight foundation of that blush , Miss Monro built many castles ; and when they faded away , one after one , she recognised that they were only baseless visions . She used to put the disappointment of her hopes down to Ellinor 's unvaried calmness of demeanour , which might be taken for coldness of disposition ; and to her steady refusal to allow Miss Monro to invite Canon Livingstone to the small teas they were in the habit of occasionally giving . Yet he persevered in his calls ; about once every fortnight he came , and would sit an hour or more , looking covertly at his watch , as if as Miss Monro shrewdly observed to herself , he did not go away at last because he wished to do so , but because he ought . Sometimes Ellinor was present , sometimes she was away ; in this latter case Miss Monro thought she could detect a certain wistful watching of the door every time a noise was heard outside the room .