"Why not?"
"I don't see what Ailie has to do with your being good."
"Nor I, I am sure," said Maria. "It was you brought her up."
"Because, if she has time, I thought you might have time."
"Well, I haven't time," said Maria. "It is as much as I can do, to study my lesson for Sunday-School."
"Then, Maria, how can you know how to be good?"
"It is no part of goodness to go preaching to other people, I would have you know," said Maria.
Matilda turned over the leaves of her new Bible lovingly, and said no more. But her sister failing her, she was all the more driven to seek the little meetings in the corner of the Sunday-School-room; and they grew to be more and more pleasant. At home nothing seemed to be right. Mrs. Englefield was not like herself. Anne and Letitia were gloomy and silent. The air was heavy. Even Clarissa's beautiful eyes, when they were slowly lifted up to look at somebody, according to her custom, seemed cold and distant as they were not at first. Clarissa visited several sick people and carried them nourishing things; but she looked calm disapproval when Maria proclaimed that Tilly had been all up Lilac Lane to look for a stray Sunday-School scholar. Mrs. Englefield laughed and did not interfere.
"I would never let a child of mine go there alone," said Mrs. Candy.
"There is no danger in Shadywalk," said Mrs. Englefield.