"The abuse of a thing does not cancel its use," said Elizabeth, "and I do not suppose that Mr. Mills preaches Socialism."
"Captain Atherley says," persisted Helen, "that all sorts of people ought not to mix themselves up together on equal terms."
"Oh! then he never goes to church," retorted Elizabeth.
"No, no, that was only my foolish way of expressing myself," said Helen; "I meant that he says that it is wrong for Church people to put themselves on a level with Dissenters, or Infidels, or Socialists, for aught they know to the contrary."
"Since you have been in the north, Helen," said Elizabeth, "you have thought every third man you met a Chartist or a Socialist; but as I do not believe there are specimens of either kind in Abbeychurch, I see no harm in taking our chance of the very few Dissenters there are here, and sitting to hear a lecture in company with our own townspeople."
"Really, I think we had better not go without asking leave first," said Katherine.
"In the first place," said Elizabeth, "there is no one to ask; and next, I know that Mrs. Turner has offered hundreds of times to take us there, and I suppose Papa would have refused once for all, if he had been so very much afraid of our turning Chartists as Helen seems to be.
I can see no reason why we should not go."
"Then you consider my opinion as utterly worthless," cried Helen, losing all command of temper, which indeed she had preserved longer than could have been expected. "I might have known it; you never care for one word I say. You will repent it at last, I know you will."
"It is not that I never care for what you say, Helen," said Elizabeth, "it is only when you give me d.y.k.elands opinions instead of your own, and talk of what you do not understand. I suppose no one has any objection to a walk, at least. Shall we get ready?"
Everyone consented, and they went to prepare. It should be said, in excuse for Elizabeth, that both she and Helen had been absent from home at the time of the establishment of the Mechanics" Inst.i.tute at Abbeychurch, so that they had not known of their father"s opposition to it. Helen, who, when at d.y.k.elands, had been nearer the manufacturing districts, had heard more of the follies and mischiefs committed by some of the favourers of these inst.i.tutions. Unfortunately, however, her temper had prevented her from reasoning calmly, and Elizabeth had wilfully blinded herself, and shut her ears to conviction, being determined to follow her own course. Anne, who had always lived at Merton Hall, excepting two months of each year, which she spent in London, knew nothing of country town cabals, and thinking the lecture was of the same nature as those she had heard in London, asked no questions, as she had not heard the debate between Elizabeth and Helen.
Katherine, however, hesitated to go without the permission of her father and mother; or, in other words, she was afraid they would reprove her, and she was not unwilling to listen to Helen"s representations on the subject, while they were putting on their bonnets.
"It is not only," said Helen, "that we are sure that it is not right to go anywhere without leave from Papa or Mamma, but that I know that these Mechanics" Inst.i.tutes are part of a system of--"
"Oh yes, I know," said Katherine, "of Chartism, and Socialism, and all that is horrible. I cannot imagine how Lizzie can think of going."
"Then you will not go," said Helen.
"Oh, I do not know," said Katherine; "it will seem so odd and so particular if Anne and Lizzie and the Hazlebys go, and we do not. It would be like setting ourselves up against our elders."
"You do not always think much of that, Kate," said Helen; "besides, if our eldest sister thinks proper to do wrong, I do not see that we are forced to do so too."
"Well, but Lizzie said it was not wrong, and she is the eldest," argued Katherine.
"Lizzie said it was not wrong, that she might have her own way, and contradict me," said Helen.
"We shall see what Anne says," said Katherine; "but if they go, I must, you know. It was to me that Mrs. Turner gave the invitation, and she and Willie would think it so odd to see the others without me; and Mr.
Mills too, he said so very politely that he hoped that he should be honoured with my presence and Harriet"s, it would be an additional stimulus to his exertions, he said."
"My dear Kate," exclaimed Helen, "how could you listen to such affected nonsense?"
"Why, Lizzie says everybody talks nonsense," said Katherine, "but we must listen and be civil, you know; I am sure I wish people would not be so silly, it is very disagreeable to hear it; but I cannot help it, and after this I really think I ought to go, it would be very odd if I did not."
"Better do what is odd than what is wrong," said Helen.
In her secret soul, Katherine had been of the same opinion the whole time, and now that she thought she had made a sufficient merit of giving up the expedition, she was about to promise to follow Helen"s advice, when she was interrupted by the entrance of Harriet, with her shawl and bonnet in her hand, coming to gossip with Katherine, and thus escape from Lucy, who had been quietly suggesting that in a doubtful case, such as the present seemed to be, it was always best to keep to the safe side. Harriet had laughed at Lucy for not being able to give any reasons, told her that it was plain that Helen knew nothing about the matter, and declared that she thanked goodness that if Mr.
Woodbourne was ever so angry, he was not her master, and her own mamma never minded what she did. Lucy could make no answer in words, but her silent protest against her sister"s conduct made Harriet so uneasy that she quitted her as soon as she could.
Helen still hoped that Anne would see the folly of the scheme, and persuade Elizabeth to give it up, and content herself with taking a walk, or that her sister"s better sense would prevail; but she was disappointed, when, as they left the house, Anne asked where the lecture was to be given, Elizabeth replied, "At the Mechanics"
Inst.i.tute;" and no further observation was made, Anne"s silence confirming Elizabeth in her idea that Helen had been talking nonsense.
Still, as St. Martin"s Street, where Mr. Turner lived, was their way out of the town, Helen remained in doubt respecting her sister"s intentions until they reached Mr. Turner"s house, and Elizabeth walked up the steps, and knocked at the door.
Helen immediately wheeled round, and walked indignantly homewards, too full of her own feelings to make any attempt to persuade Katherine to follow her example, and every step shewing how grieved and affronted she was.
Lucy laid her hand on her sister"s arm, and looked up imploringly in her face.
"Pooh!" said Harriet pettishly, jerking the ribbon by which she was leading Fido: "give me one reason, Lucy, and I will come."
"What Helen said," answered Lucy.
"Stuff and nonsense!" said Harriet; "that was no reason at all."
"What did Helen say?" asked Anne, who had been rather startled by her departure.
"Only some d.y.k.elands fancies about Socialists," said Elizabeth; "that is the reason she has gone off like a tragedy queen. I did not think all Abbeychurch was ready for the French Revolution--that was all."
"There, Lucy, you see," said Harriet; "come along, there"s a good girl."
Here Mrs. Turner"s page opened the door, and answered that his mistress was at home.
"Dora, my dear," said Elizabeth, "this is too late an affair for you; we shall not be at home till after you are gone to bed.
Good-night--run after Helen."
Dora obeyed, and Lucy also turned away; Katherine lingered. "Come, Kate," said Harriet, mounting the steps. --"Lucy, you nonsensical girl, come back; everyone can see you out of the window; it is very rude, now; if Mrs. Turner sees you, what will she think? Mamma would be very angry to see you so silly. Come back, I tell you!"
Lucy only looked back, and shook her head, and then hastened away; but Katherine, fearing that her friends would be irrecoverably offended if she turned away from their house, thinking that she had gone too far to recede, and trusting to Elizabeth to shield her from blame, followed the others up-stairs.
Helen turned back, much surprised, as Lucy and Dora overtook her; and they hastened to give explanations.
"Lizzie said I had better come home," said Dora.
"And I thought it would be the safest thing to do," said Lucy.
"I am very glad of it," said Helen; "I am sure it is not right to go, but when Lizzie has once set her mind on anything, she will listen to no one."
"Then do you think Papa and Mamma will be displeased?" said Dora; "I do not think Lizzie thinks so."
"I cannot be quite sure," said Helen; "but I do not think Lizzie chooses to believe that they will."
"But let me understand you, Helen," said Lucy; "I only know that you think that Uncle Woodbourne would not approve of your going. What are your reasons for thinking so? I did not clearly understand you.
Church-people and Dissenters put themselves on a level in almost every public place."
"They do not meet in every public place on what they agree to call neutral ground," said Helen, "or profess to lay aside all such distinctions, and to banish religion in order to avoid raising disputes. You know that no subject can be safely treated of, except with reference to the Christian religion."
"How do you mean?" said Lucy.
"Why," said Helen, hesitating a little, "how many people run wild, and adopt foolish and wicked views of politics, for want of reading history religiously! And the astronomers and geologists, without faith, question the possibility of the first chapter of Genesis; and some people fancy that the world was peopled with a great tribe of wild savages, instead of believing all about Adam and Eve and the Patriarchs. Now if you turn religion out, you see, you are sure to fall into false notions; and that is what these Mechanics" Inst.i.tute people do."
"Yes," said Lucy, "I have heard what you say about those things before, but I never saw them in connection with each other."