Higgins, their chief promoter, made several violent attacks upon me
in his newspaper for my illiberality and bigotry; and poor Mr. Turner
was so much distressed, that he came to entreat me to go myself, or
at least to allow my girls to go, to some lectures, which he promised
should be perfectly harmless. I told him that I disapproved of
Mechanics' Institutes in general, and especially of the way in which
this one is conducted, and that I had resolved long before that none
of my family should ever set foot in it. Here the matter ended; and
I have heard no more of it, except that Mrs. Turner is constantly
tormenting my wife with offers to take the girls to some peculiarly
interesting lecture.'
If Elizabeth had been present, she would certainly have immediately
confessed her indiscretion of the evening before; but she was not
there, and Katherine, who was on the point of speaking, was checked
by an imploring glance from Harriet. The conversation was changed,
and nothing more was said on the subject. As soon as they could
leave the breakfast-table, all the young ladies instantly flew to the
school-room, where Elizabeth was sitting alone, writing.
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