“Yes; at least we met them last night.”
“But do you know who they are?”
“Oh, yes; they were introduced to us, and I talked a great deal to them. And Katie scolded me for it when we got home. No; I won't say scolded me, but looked very grave over it.”
“They are two of the leaders of the Tractarians.”
“Yes. That was the fun of it. Katie was so pleased and interested with them at first; much more than I was. But when she found out who they were, she fairly ran away, and I stayed and talked on. I don't think they said anything very dangerous. Perhaps one of them wrote No. 90. Do you know?”
“I dare say. But I don't know much about it. However, they must have a bad time of it, I should think, up here with the old dons.”
“But don't you think one likes people who are persecuted? I declare I would listen to them for an hour, though I didn't understand a word, just to show them that I wasn't afraid of them, and sympathized with them. How can people be so ill-natured? I'm sure they only write what they believe and think will do good.”
“That's just what most of us feel,” said Tom; “we hate to see them put down because they don't agree with the swells up here. You'll see how they will be cheered in the Theatre.”
“Then they are not unpopular and persecuted after all?”
“Oh yes, by the dons. And that's why we all like them. From fellow-feeling you see, because the dons bully them and us equally.”