d to the title."

"What good will that do you?"

"When he's gone, I shall be the head of the family. As far as I can
understand these matters, he hasn't a right to leave the estates away
from me."

"Power is right, my boy. Legal power is undoubtedly right."

"He should at any rate divide them. There are two distinct
properties, and either of them would make me a rich man. I don't feel
so very much obliged to him for his money,--though of course it was
convenient."

"Very convenient, I should say, George. How do you get on with your
cousin?"

"They watch me like a cat watches a mouse."

"Say a rat, rather, George. Don't you know they are right? Would not
I do the same if she were my girl, knowing you as I do?"

"She might do worse, my Lord."

"I'll tell you what it is. He thinks that he might do worse. I don't
doubt about that. All this matter of the family and the title, and
the name, would make him ready to fling her to you,--if only you were
a shade less dark a horse than you are."

"I don't know that I'm darker than others."

"Look here, old fellow; I don't often trouble you with advice, but I
will now. If you'll set yourself steadily to work to live decently,
if you'll tell Sir Harry the whole truth about your money matters,
and really get into harness, I believe you may have her. Such a one
as you never had such a chance before. But there's one thing you must
do."

"What is the one thing?"

"Wash your hands altogether of Mrs. Morton. You'll have a difficulty,
I know, and perhaps it will want more pluck than you've got. You
haven't got pluck of that kind."

"You mean that I don't like to break a woman's heart?"

"Fiddlestick! Do you see that mare, there?"

"I was just looking at her. Why should you part with her?"

"She was the best animal in my stables, but she's given to eating
the stable-boys; old Badger told me flat, that he wouldn't have her
in the stables any longer. I pity the fellow who will buy her,--or
rather his fellow. She killed a lad once in Brookborough's stables."

"Why don't you shoot her?"

"I can't afford to shoot horses, Captain Hotspur. I had my chance in
buying her, and somebody else must have his chance now. That's the
lot of them; one or two good ones, and the rest what I call rags. Do
you think of what I've said; and be sure of this: Mrs. Morton and
your cousin can't go on together. Ta, Ta!--I'm going across to my
mother's."

George Hotspur, when he was left alone