own
profession."

"If that prospect be mine, to you I owe it--could I make it a plea for
asking more?"

"You owe what I did for you to the interest and esteem excited by your
own qualities, and all I did has only given you a place for the exercise
of those qualities--I do not know how you will win Mary's forgiveness
for refraining from her society on such slight grounds."

"Dare I hope for your permission to seek that forgiveness?"

"Dare I hope for your company to dinner to-day?"

"Now that you know all, nothing could give so much pleasure--though I
fear----"

"What, fearing again!"

"I fear that Miss Cavendish is very much displeased with me."

"For saving her life?"

"No--not exactly that."

Herbert Latimer did not confide the cause of his fear to Mr. Cavendish,
neither did he suffer it to interfere with his visit on that day. He
went to dinner, but stayed to tea, and long after, and as Mary was his
companion for much, if not all of this time, we presume that her
displeasure could not have been manifested in any very serious manner.

It was about six weeks after this renewal of his visits that Mr.
Duffield meeting his friend Mr. Cavendish one morning, accosted him
with, "I hear that your daughter is going to be married to young
Latimer--is it true?"

"Yes, and I heartily wish the affair were over, for I hope Herbert will
recover his senses when he is actually married, as now I am obliged to
attend to his business and my own too."

"Not much profit in that, I should think--I manage somewhat
differently."

"Did you not tell me that you intended forming a partnership with young
Conway?"

"Yes--but before I had done so, I heard that Sprague, who is as well
connected as Conway, and a great deal more industrious, would go into
business with me on less exacting terms. He has been associated with me
for some time. He does all the drudgery of the business, and is content
with one-eighth of the profits for five years."

"Those are low terms--with talent and connection too, I should think he
could have done better."

"Why, you see his connections were of little use to him while he was
alone, for he was so desperately poor that they did not like to
acknowledge him, but I knew as soon as he began to rise they would all
notice him, and so it has proved. I have no doubt I shall gain through
them more than the thousand dollars a-year which Sprague will draw,
while I shall be saved every thing that is really d