apologetically to John Ward, he added, "You'll have to keep this child's
ideas in order; I'm sure she never heard such sentiments from me. Mr.
Ward will think you haven't been well brought up, Helen. Principle?
Twaddle! their pockets were what they thought of. All this talk of
principle is rubbish."

The rector's face was flushed, and he brought his fist down with emphasis
upon the arm of his chair.

"And yet," said John Ward, lifting his thoughtful dark eyes to Dr. Howe's
handsome face, "I have always sympathized with a mistaken idea of duty,
and I am sure that many Southerners felt they were only doing their duty
in fighting for secession and the perpetuation of slavery."

"I don't agree with you, sir," said Dr. Howe, whose ideas of hospitality
forbade more vigorous speech, but his bushy gray eyebrows were drawn into
a frown.

"I think you are unfair not to admit that," John continued with gentle
persistence, while the rector looked at him in silent astonishment, and
the two young women smiled at each other in the darkness. ("The idea of
contradicting father!" Lois whispered.) "They felt," he went on, "that
they had found authority for slavery in the Bible, so what else could
they do but insist upon it?"

"Nonsense," said Dr. Howe, forgetting himself, "the Bible never taught
any such wicked thing. They believed in states rights, and they wanted
slavery."

"But," John said, "if they did believe the Bible permitted slavery, what