o 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?" re