Hilaire had drawn such a vivid picture, he shuddered
lest South Carolina and other states, too, should fall in the same way
to destruction.
"It can never happen!" he exclaimed, carried away by impulse. "Kentucky
and Virginia and the big states of the Upper South will stand beside her
and fight with her!"
The murmur of applause ran around the table again, and Harry, blushing,
made himself as small as he could in his chair.
"Don't regret a good impulse. Mr. Kenton," said a neighbor, a young
man named James McDonald--Harry had noticed that Scotch names seemed to
be as numerous as French in South Carolina--"the words that all of us
believe to be true leaped from your heart."
Harry did not speak again, unless he was addressed directly, but he
listened closely, while the others talked of the great crisis that was
so obviously approaching. His interest did not make him neglect the
dinner, as he was a strong and hearty youth. There were sweets for
which he did not care much, many vegetables, a great turkey, and venison
for which he did care, finishing with an ice and coffee that seemed to
him very black and bitter.
It was past eight o'clock when they rose and any lingering doubts that
Harry may have felt were swept away.
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