human
You are a quadroon, Mr. Dumas?
gpt
I am, sir,
human
And your father?
gpt
Was a mulatto.
human
And your grandfather?
gpt
A negro,
human
And may I inquire what your great-grandfather was?
gpt
An ape, sir, thundered Dumas, with a fierceness that made his impertinent interrogator shrink into the smallest possible compass.
human
An ape, sir; my pedigree commences where yours terminates.
gpt
Where have you been, Helen?
human
By your leave, sister,
gpt
Which question shall I answer first?
human
Tell me whose letter you are trying to hide there,
gpt
Suppose I should tell you that this letter concerns no one but myself, and that I prefer not to name the writer?
human
Oh dear! some mighty mystery, no doubt. I didn't suppose there was any harm in asking you a question.
gpt
There is harm, Caroline, in trying to pry into anything that you see that another person wishes to keep to herself; for it shows a meddling disposition, and is a breach of the command to do as you would be done by.
human
You're breaking that command yourself, retorted Caroline,
gpt
God's commands do not require us to forget our own rights. I am not bound to do to you what you have no right to require of me. We have all a perfect right to request of each other whatever is perfectly conducive to our welfare and happiness, provided it does not improperly infringe upon that of the person of whom the request is made. You trespass upon _my rights_ when you attempt to pry into my private affairs.
human
Mercy, Helen! don't preach any more. I guess I'm not the only meddlesome person in the world. One half the people I know need nothing more to make them take all possible pains to learn about a thing than to know the person whom it concerns wishes it kept secret. But where have you been, pray? and what have you in that bundle?
gpt
Caroline, said the mother of the two young girls,
human
For pity's sake! mother, haven't I a right to ask my sister all the questions I please? I tell her everything I do, and I think she might show the same confidence in me.