'You are just the right age, Helen,' said Anne, 'you had better take care, since Lizzie says you live in such a foolish world.'
Helen had not tact enough to perceive that it was better to turn off the discussion by a joke, and continued, 'And you forget how useful it is to the sensible people to be obliged to bear and forbear.'
'I should be content, if the foolish people would be raised by the wise, instead of debasing them,' said Elizabeth.
'If people are really wise, they will not let themselves be debased,' said Anne.
Helen glanced towards Lucy, Elizabeth caught her eye, and smiled in a way which almost compensated for all her unkindness in their dispute an hour before.
Harriet and Katherine, who had not been much interested by this argument, now started another subject of conversation, which they had almost entirely to themselves, and which occupied them until tea was over, somewhat to Anne's amusement and Elizabeth's disgust, as they listened to it.
As soon as the tea-things were removed, Elizabeth and Anne went to fetch the children. Elizabeth let loose her indignation as soon as she was out of the drawing-room.
'Did you ever hear anything so vulgar?' said she.
'Indeed it was very ridiculous,' said Anne, beginning to laugh at the remembrance.
'How can you be diverted with things that enrage me?' said Elizabeth.