"Why, it was when you were in the river, and I was trying to free you from the horse, and when I was in terror lest help should not come soon enough,—then the horrible wickedness of coveting your property nearly distracted me, and I prayed God to help me and to accept my resolve that if He would spare your life, I would give up the thought for ever, and desire for myself no inheritance but that which He will give me. And He did spare you, and in solemn truth I can say that I hope you and your people may keep the old Moat as long as the world lasts. As for me, a great load is gone off my mind—a nasty ugly sort of feeling of struggling after something I could not get; and if I can only work for my mother and Maude, I shall be the happiest fellow alive."
"I charge myself with that happiness my boy, if it be within human means to attain it. Then, for the rest, have we to thank your excellent mother for this victory over self and natural feeling?"
Mrs. Falconer raised her eyes to the flushed face of her son. It was a testing question; how easy to say Yes, and seem to render the expected tribute to a mother's careful teaching.
But Guy no longer dared to doubt the source of real, practical self-conquest, and though shrinking from any hand that would probe into inner experiences, he felt constrained to honour God by an avowal of the grace that made him "more than conqueror through Him that loved him."
"My dear mother has taught the possibility by precept and example, sir; but not even she could have overcome such wrong feelings as I have had on this point. I believe it is only by God's Holy Spirit giving such faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as can raise one out of old thoughts and desires, into such new ones as He felt and taught Himself, and become those who take Him for Saviour, and Captain, and King."
"'If any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new,'" softly repeated Mrs. Falconer.
The Squire bowed his head, wrung Guy's hand as he had never done before, and walked away with Mrs. Hazelwood into the lady's sheltered garden.
On the following Sunday, he appeared once more with his family in the old parish church, and united with them in "public thanks to Almighty God for His late mercies vouchsafed in preservation from sudden death, and restoration to health of mind and body."
* * * * * *
"Dorothy, my dear," said the Squire, soon afterwards, "we must do something more than speak. We must try to prove in deed what we have said in word. Have you any thought on this matter? You mentioned something about a thank-offering, I think."