is only as strong as his
weakest moment.

But he returned to London very strong in his purpose. He would keep
his establishment at the Moonbeam for this winter. He had it all laid
out and planned in his mind. He would at once pay Mr. Horsball the
balance of the old debt, and count on the value of his horses to
defray the expense of the coming season. And he would, without a
week's delay, make his offer to Mary Bonner. A dim idea of some
feeling of disappointment on Clary's part did cross his brain,--a
feeling which seemed to threaten some slight discomfort to himself
as resulting from want of sympathy on her part; but he must assume
sufficient courage to brave this. That he would in any degree be an
evil-doer towards Clary,--that did not occur to him. Nor did it occur
to him as at all probable that Mary Bonner would refuse his offer. In
these days men never expect to be refused. It has gone forth among
young men as a doctrine worthy of perfect faith, that young ladies
are all wanting to get married,--looking out for lovers with an
absorbing anxiety, and that few can dare to refuse any man who is
justified in proposing to them.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE NEW HEIR COUNTS HIS CHICKENS.

The Squire was almost lost in joy when he received his son's letter,
telling him that Ralph the heir had consented to sell everything.
The one great wish of his life was to be accomplished at last! The
property was to be his own, so that he might do what he liked with
it, so that he might leave it entire to his own son, so that for the
remainder of his life he might enjoy it in that community with his
son which had always appeared to him to be the very summit of human
bliss. From the sweet things which he had seen he had been hitherto
cut off by the record of his own fault, and had spent the greater
part of his life in the endurance of a bitter punishment. He had been
torn to pieces, too, in contemplating the modes of escape from the
position in which his father's very natural will had placed him. He
might of course have married, and at least have expected and have
hoped for children. But in that there would have been misery. His
son was the one human being that was dear to him above all others,
and by such a marriage he would have ruined his son. Early in life,
comparatively early, he had made up his mind that he would not do
that;--that he would save his money, and make a property for the boy
he loved. But then it had come home