But what had I ever said to Miss Newton that she should entertain such an idea? Mr Raymond glanced at me with a brotherly sort of smile, which I wished from my heart that I deserved, (for all he is a Whig!) and was afraid I did not. Then he said,—
“Religious people, I believe, are often very odd things in the eyes of irreligious people. Do you count yourself among the latter class, Miss Theresa?”
“Oh, I don’t make any profession,” said she. “I have but one life, and I want to enjoy it.”
“That is exactly my position,” said Mr Raymond, smiling.
“Now, what do you mean?” demanded she. “Don’t the Methodists label everything ‘wicked’ that one wants to do?”
“‘One’ sometimes means another,” replied Mr Raymond, with a funny look in his eyes. “They do not put that label on anything I want to do. I cannot answer for other people.”
“I am sure they would put it on a thousand things that I should,” said Miss Newton.
“Am I to understand that speaks badly for them?—or for you?”
“Mr Raymond! You know I make no profession of religion. I think it is much better to be free.”
The look in Mr Raymond’s eyes seemed to me very like Divine compassion.