He was touched by her earnestness. "My dear Mary," he said, "I wish my own grandson looked at it that way. His letters of late have been very disturbing."
A little flush crept into her cheeks. "Disturbing?"
"He writes that we Americans have got to fit our practice to our theories. He says that we shout democracy and practice autocracy. That we don't believe that all men are free and equal, and that, well, in your words, Mary—we let other people carry our baskets."
Mary was smiling to herself. "You are glad he is coming home?"
"Truxton? Yes. On Saturday."
"Becky told me. She rode over to get Mother to help Mandy."
"I am going to have a lot of people to dine the day he arrives," said the Judge, "and next week there'll be the Merriweathers' ball. He will have a chance to see his old friends."
"Yes," said Mary, "he will."
They talked a great deal about Truxton after that.