'
'It is a very different thing for you,' said Elizabeth; 'you have
nothing to do with the town, and you need not have known that it was
not a fit place to go to.'
'But you did not know that it was not fit for us,' said Anne.
'I did know that I ought not to go where I had not been told I might
go,' said Elizabeth. 'It was relying on my own judgement that led me
astray. But, oh! I wish I had been here at the time the Socialist
lectures were given; I should as soon have thought of climbing up the
kitchen-chimney, as of going to that den, and giving the ragamuffins
such a victory over Papa.'
'It was very silly of us not to ask a few more questions,' said Anne.
'Ah! that is the worst part of my behaviour,' said Elizabeth; 'that
abominably unfair account which I gave you, at Mr. Turner's door, of
Helen's objections. It was in fact almost deceit, and the only thing
that can take off from the blackness of it, is that I was
sufficiently senseless to believe it myself at the time I spoke.'
'Oh yes, of course you did,' said Anne.
'Yet there must have been a sort of feeling that your hearing her
arguments would put a stop to the beautiful scheme,' said Elizabeth;
'you do not know, perhaps, that Kate was nearly convinced by Helen's
good sense, and I do believe that the reason I was not, was, what I
tremble to think of, that I have been indulging in a frightful spirit
of opposing and despising Helen, because I was angry with her for
loving Dykelands better than home.
Pages:
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302