" And Miss Birdseye looked at him with a wandering,
tentative humour, as if he would know what she meant.
"You mean for the other slaves!" he exclaimed, with a laugh. "You can
carry them all the Bibles you want."
"I want to carry them the Statute-book; that must be our Bible now."
Ransom found himself liking Miss Birdseye very much, and it was quite
without hypocrisy or a tinge too much of the local quality in his speech
that he said: "Wherever you go, madam, it will matter little what you
carry. You will always carry your goodness."
For a minute she made no response. Then she murmured: "That's the way
Olive Chancellor told me you talked."
"I am afraid she has told you little good of me."
"Well, I am sure she thinks she is right."
"Thinks it?" said Ransom. "Why, she knows it, with supreme certainty! By
the way, I hope she is well."
Miss Birdseye stared again. "Haven't you seen her? Are you not
visiting?"
"Oh no, I am not visiting! I was literally passing her house when I met
you."
"Perhaps you live here now," said Miss Birdseye. And when he had
corrected this impression, she added, in a tone which showed with what
positive confidence he had now inspired her, "Hadn't you better drop
in?"
"It would give Miss Chancellor no pleasure," Basil Ransom rejoined.
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