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.
"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."
"You know well enough," answered Willis, "though you wish to annoy me."
Reding was silent a moment; then he said, "Well, I don't think you have mended the matter; it _is_ a dissenting meeting, call it what you will, though not the kind of one I meant."
"Rather, what mean _you_ by going to such places?" retorted Charles; "why, it is against your oath."
"There's not an oath now; but there was an oath till lately," said Reding; "and we still make a very solemn engagement. Don't you recollect your matriculation at the Vice-Chancellor's, and what oaths and declarations you made?"
"I don't know what I made: my tutor told me nothing about it. I signed a book or two."
"You did more," said Reding. "I was told most carefully. You solemnly engaged to keep the statutes; and one statute is, not to go into any dissenting chapel or meeting whatever."
"Catholics are not Dissenters," said Willis.
"Oh, don't speak so," said Charles; "you know it's meant to include them. The statute wishes us to keep from all places of worship whatever but our own."