A Daughter of Maryland — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

116 A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND. doors. Aurian’s dislike for the overseer was stronger than it had ever been before. Under these circumstances it was scarcely more than might have been expected that she did all in her power for him who had saved her life twice within a month. : Her father had recovered in a few days, and he was more devoted to political matters than ever, while Robert, strange to say, seemed to think of nothing but the fox chase. ‘‘T want you to go to Annapolis with me to-day, Robert. They are pushing us hard to the wall. I wish you had the ambition to make a few speeches. ’’ ‘To show you that it takes something more+than ambi- tion to deliver a speech, eh? What is the use of all this fuss and feathers, as you say, major? As for me I had rather have one sleek fox than all the oily politicians in old Maryland. ’’ _ This indifference of Robert was a greater annoyance than he cared to own, and in his disappointment he appealed to Aurian with his fears for the future. ‘*Isn’t it right for the majority to rule, father? And if the majority of the people of Mavane believe that the North is right why should you He stopped her with an impatient gesture, saying: ‘*Zounds, girl! what is that you are saying? The major- ity! The majority makes the rabble, and the rabble is always wrong. Is it possible I have a traitor in my own household ?’’ ‘‘T do not know what you mean, father. I do not intend to be untrue to you. As to politics, I say only what my reason in its innocence dictates. I certainly hope the right will prevail. ’’ ‘Tt is might and not right against us, my child. The North is jealous of our growing power. It looks with envy on our teeming fields of rice and cotton, our rich crops of sugar and tobacco, and it says: ‘Behold the fruits of slave ‘comicbooks (ele)