"Not much about the banquet, but about the speech you made," replied Magdalen.
"I made! Yes, I did make a speech of a sort; talked about my negroes, which is very easy for me to do; but his was the great speech, did not he tell you about that?"
"Not a word. What did he say?"
"He said one thing, which there are some of us will take care to spread all over the country. He said that a colony is an infant nation."
"You think so, I know. I have heard you say something like it more than once."
"Yes, but not in public, and before the Viceroy. In us poor Creoles it would be rank treason to say such a thing, but just at present an Englishman may say what he likes."
"Then when he goes there will be no one left among you who will dare to speak the truth openly?"
"No one, for a time at least; but the day is coming when all will be able to speak openly just what they think."
"Why not begin at once? I should think it was never too early to speak the truth."
"There you are mistaken; but you must think me very stupid to talk to you about politics in a ball-room, though I have seen you listen when others were talking politics at the quinta."