Oh! uncle, it _is_ wonderful. Well, now, these men would be all
ready for us if we were in national danger. I heard Mr. Fullerton say
that hundreds of them are in the Naval Reserve, and as soon as they
learned their way about an ironclad, they would take to the work by
instinct. There is nothing they don't understand about the sea, and wind
and weather. Would any negro help us? Why, Lord Wolseley told your
friend Sir James Roche that a thousand Fantees ran away from fifty
painted men of some other tribe; and Lord Wolseley said that you can
only make a negro of that sort defend himself by telling him that he
will die if he runs away. You wouldn't neglect our own men who are so
brave. Why they might have to defend London, where all your money is,
and they would do it too." (Oh! the artful minx!) "And we send missions
to nasty, brutal Fantees who run away from enemies, and we leave our own
splendid creatures far worse off than dogs."
"Well, if I'm not having the law laid down to me, I should like to know
who ever had. But I'm interested. Let's go round by the avenue, through
the kitchen garden, and then round to the front by road, and make the
walk as long as you can. Why on earth didn't Blair tell me something of
this before? Most wonderful. He talks enough, heaven knows, about
anything and everything, but he never mentioned that. Why?" "Now don't
be a crusty dear. I don't know what good form is, but he told me he
thought it would hardly he good form to bring up the subject in your
company, as it might seem as though he were hinting at a donation.
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