On the evening before his departure for the country he had occasion to go towards Folly Bridge to pay a bill, when he was startled, as he passed what he had ever taken for a dissenting chapel, to see Willis come out of it. He hardly could believe he saw correctly; he knew, indeed, that Willis had been detained in Oxford, as he had been himself; but what had compelled him to a visit so extraordinary as that which he had just made, Charles had no means of determining.
"Willis!" he cried, as he stopped.
Willis coloured, and tried to look easy.
"Do come a few paces with me," said Charles. "What in the world has taken you there? Is it not a dissenting meeting?"
"Dissenting meeting!" cried Willis, surprised and offended in his turn: "what on earth could make you think I would go to a dissenting meeting?"
"Well, I beg your pardon," said Charles; "I recollect now: it's the exhibition room. However, once it was a chapel: that's my mistake. Isn't it what is called 'the Old Methodist Chapel?' I never was there; they showed there the Dio-astro-doxon, so I think they called it." Charles talked on, to cover his own mistake, for he was ashamed of the charge he had made.
Willis did not know whether he was in jest or earnest. "Reding," he said, "don't go on; you offend me."
"Well, what is it?" said Charles.
"You know well enough," answered Willis, "though you wish to annoy me."
"I don't indeed."