"Oh, shall I! I long for it—I dream about it. May I ride Dixy, Uncle
Jim?"
"Yes, if you have a riding-habit you can wear. We will see to that. You have grown a good bit, but I fancy we can manage."
"And how is Pole, aunt; and the doctor and Crocker and his fat wife—oh, and everybody?"
"Oh, much, as usual. We had a skirmish about mutton, but the last Pole sent is good—in fact, excellent. He needs watching."
Then the talk fell on the lessened work at the mills, and there being now four players the Squire had his whist again, and later carried Rivers away to smoke in the library, leaving Ann and Leila.
As the library door closed, Leila dropped on a cushion at her aunt's feet, and with her head in Ann's lap expressed her contentment by a few moments of silence. Then sitting up, she said, "I am so happy I should like to purr. I was naughty at dinner, but it was just because I wanted to make Uncle Jim laugh. He looks—Don't you think he looks worried, aunt? Is it the mills and—the men out of work? Dear Aunt Ann, how can one keep on not talking about politics and things that are next to one's religion—and concerning our country—my country?"
Ann made no direct reply, but went back to what was nearer than any creed of politics. "Yes, dear. When one big thing worries James, then everything worries him. The state of the money market makes all business difficult, and he feels uncomfortable because the mill company is in want of work, and because their debts are overdue and not likely to be paid in full or at all."
"I wish I could do something to help Uncle Jim."
"You can ride with him and I cannot. You can talk to him without limitations; I cannot. He is reasonable about this grave question of slavery. He does not think it right; I do—oh, good for master and best for the black. When, soon after our marriage, we spoke of it, he was positive and told me to read what Washington had said about slavery. We were both young and said angry things which left a pang of remembrance. After that we were careful. But now this terrible question comes up in the village and in every paper. It will get worse, and I see no end to it."
Leila was silent, remembering too her aunt's share in Josiah's escape.
The advice implied in her aunt's frank talk she saw was to be accepted.
"I will remember, Aunt Ann." At least she was free to talk to her uncle.