All the father’s displeasure vanished with the compliment, and he replied, “Yes, Robert is a noble boy; that’s the true word for him.”
“I fear,” resumed Vance, “I gave you some cause just now to form a bad opinion of me because of my conduct to one of the waiters.”
“To be frank,” replied Onslow, “I did feel surprise that you should take not only the strong side, but the wrong one.”
“Mr. Onslow, did you ever read Parnell’s poem of the ‘Hermit’?”
“Yes, it was one of the favorites of my youth.”
“And do you remember how many things seemed wrong to the hermit that he afterwards found to be right?”
“I perceive the drift of your allusion, sir,” returned Onslow; “but I am puzzled, nevertheless.”
“Perhaps one of these days you will be enlightened.” Then, changing the subject, Vance remarked, “How do you succeed in Texas in your attempt to substitute free labor for that of slaves?”
“My success has been all I could have hoped; but the more successful I am, the more imminent is my failure.”
“Why so? That sounds like a paradox.”