can't strike."

"Lift my hand! O, Mrs. Julaper, you couldn't think that; you little know
me; I did not mean that; I never dreamed of hurting Sir Bale. Good
heavens! Mrs. Julaper, you couldn't think that! It all comes of my poor
impatient temper, and complaining as I do, and my misery; but O, Mrs.
Julaper, you could not think I ever meant to trouble him by law, or any
other annoyance! I'd like to see a stain removed from my family, and my
name restored; but to touch his property, O, no!--O, no! that never
entered my mind, by heaven! that never entered my mind, Mrs. Julaper.
I'm not cruel; I'm not rapacious; I don't care for money; don't you know
that, Mrs. Julaper? O, surely you won't think me capable of attacking
the man whose bread I have eaten so long! I never dreamed of it; I
should hate myself. Tell me you don't believe it; O, Mrs. Julaper, say
you don't!"

And the gentle feeble creature burst into tears and good Mrs. Julaper
comforted him with kind words; and he said,

"Thank you, ma'am; thank you. God knows I would not hurt Bale, nor give
him one uneasy hour. It is only this: that I'm--I'm so miserable; and
I'm only casting in my mind where to turn to, and what to do. So little
a thing would be enough, and then I shall leave Mardykes. I'll go; not
in any anger, Mrs. Julaper--don't think that; but I can't stay, I must
be gone."

"Well, now, there's nothing yet, Master Philip, to fret you like that.
You should not be talking so wild-like. Master Bale has his sharp word
and his short temper now and again; but I'm sure he likes you. If he
didn't, he'd a-said so to me long ago. I'm sure he likes you well."