Philip was also well versed in politics for a lad of his age, and could discuss glibly the right of Parliament to tax the colonies.  He denounced the seditious doings in Annapolis and Boston Town with an air of easy familiarity, for Philip had the memory of a parrot, and ’twas easy to perceive whence his knowledge sprang.  But when my fine master spoke disparagingly of the tradesmen as at the bottom of the trouble, my grandfather’s patience came to an end.

“And what think you lies beneath the wealth and power of England, Philip?” he asked.

“Her nobility, sir, and the riches she draws from her colonies,” retorts Master Philip, readily enough.

“Not so,” Mr. Carvel said gravely.  “She owes her greatness to her merchants, or tradesmen, as you choose to call them.  And commerce must be at the backbone of every great nation.  Tradesmen!” exclaimed my grandfather.  “Where would any of us be were it not for trade?  We sell our tobacco and our wheat, and get money in return.  And your father makes a deal here and a deal there, and so gets rich in spite of his pittance.”

My Uncle Grafton raised his hand to protest, but Mr. Carvel continued:  “I know you, Grafton, I know you.  When a lad it was your habit to lay aside the money I gave you, and so pretend you had none.”

“And ’twas well I learned then to be careful,” said my uncle, losing for the instant his control, “for you loved the spend-thrift best, and I should be but a beggar now without my wisdom.”

“I loved not John’s carelessness with money, but other qualities in him which you lacked,” answered Mr. Carvel.

Grafton shot a swift glance at me; and so much of malice and of hatred was conveyed in that look that with a sense of prophecy I shuddered to think that some day I should have to cope with such craft.  For he detested me threefold, and combined the hate he bore my dead father and mother with the ill-will he bore me for standing in his way and Philip’s with my grandfather’s property.  But so deftly could he hide his feelings that he was smiling again instantly.  To see once, however, the white belly of the shark flash on the surface of the blue water is sufficient.

“I beg of you not to jest of me before the lads, father,” said Grafton.

“God knows there was little jest in what I said,” replied Mr. Carvell soberly, “and I care not who hears it.  Your own son will one day know you well enough, if he does not now.  Do not imagine, because I am old, that I am grown so foolish as to believe that a black sheep can become white save by dye.  And dye will never deceive such as me.  And Philip,” the shrewd old gentleman went on, turning to my cousin, “do not let thy father or any other make thee believe there cannot be two sides to every question.  I recognize in your arguments that which smacks of his tongue, despite what he says of your reading the public prints and of forming your own opinions.  And do not condemn the Whigs, many of whom are worthy men and true, because they quarrel with what they deem an unjust method of taxation.”