"Because I believed myself capable of loving in silence, and while I wronged no one, I was willing to indulge in the sweet poison of her society; but a moment of danger to her destroyed my self-control. What has been may be again--I have learned to distrust myself--I cannot tamper with temptation, lest I should one day use the position in which you have placed me, and the advantages which you have bestowed on me, in endeavoring to win from you a treasure which you may well be reluctant to yield to me." "Herbert, I only blame you for not having spoken to me sooner of this." "I feel now that I should have done so--it was a want of self-knowledge, the rash confidence of one untried which kept me silent." "No, Herbert--it was a want of knowledge of me--of confidence in my justice--I will not say my kindness. What higher views do you suppose I can entertain for my daughter, than to make her the wife of one who has a prospect of obtaining the most distinguished eminence in my 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."