“Well, those dainty-looking curled darlings don’t do badly in the backwoods,” said Lady Tyrrell.

“Ah!  I understand!  You stand up for him because there’s a little tendresse for your sister,” said the plain-spoken American.

“Poor fellow!  I am afraid he is far gone.  It is an impossible thing, though, and the sooner he can be cured of it the better,” said Lady Tyrrell.  “I am sorry that walk took place yesterday.—­Did he mention it at home, Cecil?”

“You are a very inconsistent woman, Lady Tyrrell,” broke in Mrs. Duncombe in her abrupt way.  “Here you are come to uphold the emancipation of woman, and yet, when we come to your own sister taking one poor walk—­”

“I beg your pardon, Bessie,” said Lady Tyrrell, with her most courteous manner.  “I never said I was come to uphold the emancipation of woman; only to subject myself to Mrs. Tallboys’ influence—­she has to make a convert of me.”

For, of course, Lady Tyrrell was only drawn into the controversy as a matter of amusement, and possibly as something specially distasteful to the house of Charnock Poynsett; and Cecil was a good deal influenced by the fascination of her example, as well as by the eagerness of Mrs. Duncombe and the charms of the Americans; and above all, they conspired in making her feel herself important, and assuming that she must be foremost in all that was done.  She did not controvert the doctrines of Dunstone so entirely as to embrace the doctrines of emancipation, but she thought that free ventilation was due to every subject, most especially when the Member’s wife was the leading lady in bringing about such discussion.  The opposition made in the town to Mrs. Duncombe’s sanitary plans, and the contempt with which they had been treated as ladies’ fancies, had given a positive field of battle, with that admixture of right and wrong on either side which is essential to championship.  And in truth Cecil was so much more under the influence of Camilla Tyrrell and Bessie Duncombe than under that of any other person, that she was ready to espouse any cause that they did.

How to arrange for the intended instruction was the difficulty, since Wil’sbro’ was without a town-hall, and, moreover, the inhabitants were averse to all varieties of change, either as to the claims of women, the inequality of social laws, the improvement of education, or the comprehension of social science—­the regular course which Mrs. Clio W. Tallboys was wont to lecture.

The matter could only be managed by arranging a series of soirees at different houses.  Mrs. Duncombe’s rooms were far too small; but if some person of more note—­’some swell’ as she said—­would make the beginning, there would be no difficulty in bringing others to follow suit.

“You must do it, Lady Tyrrell,” said Mrs. Duncombe.

“I!  If there’s nobody else; but it would come much better from another quarter,” nodding at Cecil.