. If I did flirt a little with Major
F., it was done more to provoke the spleen of that ill-natured old maid,
who acts the part of Cerberus for his proud, pompous wife, than for any
wish to attract his attention."

"It is better," said Flora, her heart softening towards her companion,
"to avoid all appearance of evil. Superficial observers only judge by
outward appearance, and your conduct must have appeared strange to a
jealous woman."

"She was jealous of me then?" cried the volatile Mrs. Dalton, clapping
her hands in an ecstasy of delight. "Oh, I am so glad that it annoyed
her."

Flora could not help laughing at the vivacity with which she turned her
words to make them subservient to her own vanity. But when she described
the consternation felt by Miss Mann, on discovering Hector under the
table, her eccentric companion laughed until the tears ran down her
cheeks.

The introduction of Hector insensibly turned the conversation upon the
state of the slaves in the West Indies. The excitement of the slave
question was just then at its height; but the bill for their
emancipation had not yet passed the Houses of Parliament. Upon Flora
expressing her abhorrence of the whole system, Mrs. Dalton proceeded to
defend it with no little warmth.

"Ah, I perceive that you know nothing about it. You are infected with
the bigotry and prejudices of the Anti-slavery advocates. Negroes are an
inferior race; they were made to work for civilized men, in climates
where labour would be death to those of a different complexion."

"This is reducing the African to a mere beast of burthen--a machine in
the form of man. The just God never made a race of beings purposely to
drag out a painful existence in perpetual toil and degradation."

"They are better off than your peasants at home," continued Mrs. Dalton,
indignantly;--"better fed, and taken care of. As to the idle tales they
tell you about flogging, starvation, and killing slaves, they are
fearful exaggerations, not worthy of credit. Do you think a farmer would
kill a horse, that he knew was worth a hundred pounds, out of revenge
for his having done some trifling injury to his harness? A planter would
not disable a valuable slave, if by so doing he injured himself. But
your slave adorers will not listen to reason and common sense. I have
been the owner of many slaves; but I never ill-used one of them in my
life."

"Hector is an example of over-indulgence," said Flora. "But still h