A Shaft of Sunlight

encourage her to be interested in him.
“I suppose it is too soon for him to think any girl attractive after Claribel,” the Duke told himself ruefully.
Then once again there was that question in his mind as to why he had felt so strange when he saw Lucien kissing Giona’s hand.
Hibbert called him at his usual early hour and he went riding, knowing there was no question of Lucien rising early enough to join him.
He resisted an impulse to ride in the direction of the Dower House and instead galloped over the Park in the opposite direction.
Breakfast was waiting for him when he returned a little later than usual and he was just finishing what had been a satisfying meal when the butler announced,
“Mr. Middleton has arrived from London to see Your Grace.”
“Mr. Middleton!” the Duke exclaimed in surprise.
Then before he could say any more Mr. Middleton walked into the dining room.
“Good-Heavens!” the Duke ejaculated. “What brings you here so early in the morning? Has the house burnt down, or have I been robbed of everything I possess?”
“Neither, Your Grace,” Mr. Middleton replied.
He waited for the butler to close the door and they were left alone in the dining room before he said,
“I received news last night that I thought should be in your hands immediately.”
“About Sir Jarvis?”
Mr. Middleton nodded.
“Sit down and tell me about it,” the Duke invited. “Will you have a cup of coffee?”
“Thank you, that can wait,” Mr

This was not the usual practice of the trade, except in ships where there had been riots or where the wretched creatures had tried frantically to throw themselves overboard.”

He was however, the Duke thought, a little more severe with the spur and the whip than was necessary for such a young animal.

of 20 percent. If it was necessary to reduce the load in a heavy sea, the sick were thrown overboard.
On arrival slaves were kept in stockades to await a purchaser. The ship was then loaded with another cargo, such as sugar produced on the American plantations, and sailed for home. If all went well, the profit was enormous.
Despite strong protests against this traffic by the Quakers and William Wilberforce, it was not until 1806 that Parliament prohibited British merchants from providing slaves and from the importation of them into British possessions.
The traffic continued, however, until 1811 when slave trading became a criminal offence.

It was after the development of the sugar plantations that the slave trade between the West Coast of Africa and the Americas reached enormous proportions, becoming the most lucrative trade of the time.
The English became the most important importers of slaves although the Dutch, French, and other nations also took part in the trade.
Ships set out first from a home port such as Liverpool, carrying liquor, cotton goods, firearms and trinkets which were exchanged for slaves right along what was called the Slave Coast-the Gulf of Guinea.
Then came what was known as “the middle voyage” towards one of the Colonies or countries on the American continent. The slaves closely packed in the hull, often chained to prevent rebellion or from jumping into the sea, suffered agonies.
Food was inadequate, water scarce, mortality often reached the appalling pro