"
"Wisely done! you are one of the working classes, and will
enlist I hope in the great struggle against the drones. The
natural friends of the people are younger sons, though they
are generally enlisted against us. The more fools they; to
devote their energies to the maintenance of a system which is
founded on selfishness and which leads to fraud; and of which
they are the first victims. But every man thinks he will be
an exception."
"And yet," said Egremont, "a great family rooted in the land,
has been deemed to be an element of political strength."
"I'll tell you what," said Gerard, there is a great family in
this country and rooted in it, of which we have heard much
less than they deserved, but of which I suspect we shall hear
very soon enough to make us all think a bit."
"In this county?"
"Ay; in this county and every other one; I mean the PEOPLE."
"Ah!" said Egremont, "that family has existed for a long
time."
"But it has taken to increase rapidly of late, my friend--how
may I call you?"
"They call me, Franklin."
"A good English name of a good English class that has
disappeared. Well, Mr Franklin, be sure of this, that the
Population Returns of this country are very instructive
reading.
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