it was Lizzie's doing, not mine.'

'I thought you went,' said Helen.

'Yes,' said Katherine; 'but that was only because Lizzie said it was
not wrong. She is the eldest, and you know she is accountable.'

'I should think that poor consolation,' said Helen.

'Well,' said Katherine sleepily, 'good-night. Those horrid gas-lights
have made my head ache. I cannot talk any more.'

CHAPTER IX.

Although she had sat up so much later than usual the night before, Anne
was dressed on Saturday morning in time to go to her mother's room for
a little while before breakfast.

'Mamma,' said she, after they had spoken of Rupert's arrival, 'where do
you think we went yesterday evening?'

'Where, my dear?'

'To hear a lecture at the Mechanics' Institute, Mamma.'

'I should not have thought that your uncle would have approved of his
daughters going to such a place,' said Lady Merton.

'Do you think we ought not to have gone, Mamma?' said Anne.

'I do not know the circumstances, my dear,' said Lady Merton; 'the
Mechanics' Institute may perhaps be under your uncle's management, and
in that case--'

'Oh no,' said Anne. 'I do not think it is--at least, I do not think
Uncle Woodbourne would have liked the lecture we heard much better than
Lizzie and I did; and after it was too late, I found that Helen had
declared it was very wrong of us to go. She would not go; and I found
that when I was out of the room, she and Lizzie had had a great debate
about it.'

Anne then gave a full account of all that had occurred, and ended with,
'Now, Mamma, do you think we could have helped going on after we once
came to Mrs. Turner's, and found what kind of a thing it was likely to
be?'

'People certainly cannot stop themselves easily when they have taken
the first wrong step,' said Lady Merton.

Anne sighed. 'Then I am afraid we have done very wrong,' said she.

'For yourself, Anne,' said her mother, 'I do not think you are much to
blame, since I cannot see how you were to know that your cousins were
going without their father's consent.'

'I am glad you think so, Mamma,' said Anne; 'but I cannot be quite
happy about it, for I might certainly have supposed that there was some
reason against our going, when Helen and the youngest Miss Hazleby
turned back and went home.'

'You heard none of Helen's remonstrances?' said Lady Merton.

'No, Mamma; I was foolish enough to be satisfied with Lizzie's saying
that she had been talkin