'He had better take care what he says. If they fancy he is in league with that ridiculous Duncombe woman against their pockets, Moy is on the watch to take advantage of it; and all the old family interest will not save his seat.'
When Rosamond reached home she found Anne beside her mother-in-law, provided with a quire of note-paper and pile of envelopes. 'My dear, I want your help,' she said. 'Till my accident I always had a children's party at Christmas; and now I have so many young people to manage it for me, I think we might try again, and combine it with Cecil's ladies' party, on Wednesday.'
'Hurrah!' cried Rosamond. 'You mean that we should have plenty of fun-and, in fact, drum out the rights of woman.'
'At any rate, present a counter attraction. You and Charlie and your brothers, with the Bowaters, might do something?'
'Trust me!' cried Rosamond. 'Oh! I am so thankful to Mr. Bowater. Julius and I had our blood boiling; and I said as much or more to Cecil than woman could, but she minded me no more than the old white cockatoo; and Julius said our telling would only make more mischief.'
'He was quite right,' said his mother. 'Let there not be one word of opposition, you know; only swamp it. You could get up some charades, and have something going on all the evening.'
'Trust me for that! Oh! if my darling Aileen were but here! But Tom is the very model of an actor, and Terry is grand, if only we can keep him out of the high tragedy line. King Lear is the mildest thing he condescends to!'
'Could you manage a Christmas-tree? The taking up a room beforehand is inconvenient; but I should like to offer some little substantial bait, even to the grown-up;' and her eyes twinkled merrily.
'I know a better thing,' said Rosamond; 'an enchanted grove with a beneficent witch. We did it at St. Awdry's, with bon-bons and trumpery, in a little conservatory, hardly large enough to turn round in. If I may have the key of the conservatory, I'll manage.'
'You shall have what you please; and perhaps you would kindly go and choose the things at Backsworth. There is a very good fancy shop there.'
'Thank you, thank you! How sweet!-Now, Anne, you will see what you shall see!'
'Is there to be dancing?' asked Anne, humbly yet resolutely.
'There shall not be, my dear, if it will spoil the evening for you,' said Mrs. Poynsett.
'I promised,' said Anne.
At that moment the servants came in with the preparations for the afternoon tea, closely followed by the ever punctual Cecil.
Mrs. Poynsett asked her whether she would require the barouche on the morrow, since Rosamond and Anne would want it to go to Backsworth, to obtain requisites for a children's entertainment to take place on Wednesday.
'Some friends of mine are coming on Wednesday,' said Cecil
'Indeed! In Raymond's absence?'
'This is not a dinner, but a ladies' party.'
'Then it will combine the better.'
'Certainly not,' replied Cecil. 'Mine is simply intellectual-only a few intelligent women to meet Mrs. Tallboys in the library. It will be quite apart from any amusements Rosamond may like to have for the children in the drawing- room.'
'Pray, will they require nothing but this feast of reason and flow of soul?-for the housekeeper will need warning.'
'They will have dined. Nothing but coffee will be wanted.'
'For how many?'
'About twelve or fourteen, thank you. Excuse me-I have something to finish in my own room.'
They were very glad to excuse her, and the following note was concocted to serve both for those she might have invited and those she might not; and it was copied by the two daughters for all the acquaintance who had young folks in their houses. An appearance of want of unanimity was carefully avoided, and it stood thus:-
'I am desired by Mrs. Poynsett to say that the ladies' party already proposed for the 3rd is to undergo a little expansion, and that she much hopes to see you and --, at 7 p.m., disposed for a few Christmas amusements.'
CHAPTER XVI. The Drive To Backsworth
She was betrothed to one now dead, Or worse, who had dishonoured fled.-SCOTT
The party set out for Backsworth early in the day. It included Julius, who had asked for a seat in the carriage in order to be able to go on to Rood House, where lived Dr. Easterby, whom he had not seen since he had been at Compton.
'The great light of the English Church,' said Rosamond, gaily; while Anne shuddered a little, for Miss Slater had told her that he was the great fountain-head of all that distressed her in Julius and his curates. But Julius merely said, 'I am very glad of the opportunity;' and the subject dropped in the eager discussion of the intended pastimes, which lasted beyond the well-known Wil'sbro' bounds, when again Julius startled a Anne by observing, 'No dancing? That is a pity.'
'There, Anne!' exclaimed Rosamond.
'It was out of kindness to me,' said Anne: and then, with a wonderful advance of confidence, she added, 'Please tell me how you, a minister, can regret it?'
'Because I think it would be easier to prevent mischief than when there has to be a continual invention of something original. There is more danger of offence and uncharitableness, to speak plainly.'
'And you think that worse than dancing?' said Anne, thoughtfully.
'Why is dancing bad at all, Anne?' asked Rosamond.
Anne answered at once, 'It is worldly.'
'Not half so worldly as driving in a carriage with fine horses, and liveries, and arms, and servants, and all,' said Rosamond from her comfortable corner, nestling under Miles's racoon-skin rug; 'I wonder you can do that!'
'The carriage is not mine,' said Anne.
'The worldliness would be in sacrificing a duty to the luxury and ostentation of keeping one,' said Julius. 'For instance, if I considered it due to my lady in the corner there to come out in this style, and put down a curate and a few such trifles with that object. To my mind, balls stand on the same ground; they are innocent as long as nothing right is given up for them.'
'You would not dance?' said Anne.
'Wouldn't he?' said Rosamond. 'I've seen him. It was at St. Awdry's at a Christmas party, in our courting days. No, it wasn't with me. Oh no! That was the cruel cut! It was with little Miss Marks, whose father had just risen from the ranks. Such a figure she was, enough to set your teeth on edge; when, behold! this reverend minister extracts her from the wall-flowers, and goes through the Lancers with her in first-rate style, I assure you. It had such an effect, do you know, that what does my father do but go and ask her next; and I heard an old lady remarking that there were only two gentlemen in the room, Mr. Charnock and Lord Rathforlane. So you see it was all worldliness after all, Anne.'
'I suppose it was good-nature,' said Anne.
'Indignation, I fancy,' said Julius.
'Now, was he very wicked for it, Anne?'
'N-no, if dancing be not wrong.'
'But why should it?'
'All the bad people danced in the Bible.'
'Miriam-King David, eh?'
'That was part of their religious service.'
'The welcome to the prodigal son?' further suggested Julius. 'Does not this prove that the exercise is not sinful in itself?'
'But you would not do it again?' repeated Anne.
'I certainly should not make a practice of it, nor go to balls any more than I would be a sportsman or a cricketer, because I am bound to apply my whole self to the more direct service; but this does not show that there
