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fice； yer spoiling it！〃＇
The Woman's Laundry Union have taken such a strong dislike to him。
＇A final yell。 Then a voice： 〃That's taken some of the starch out
of him！〃 followed by a shriek of laughter。＇
JAWBONES 'E only suggested as 'ow there was enough old washerwomen
in Parliament as it was。
LADY MOGTON A most unnecessary remark。 It will teach him …
＇SIGSBY enters； damaged。 His appearance is comic。 LADY MOGTON
makes no effort to repress a grim smile。＇
SIGSBY Funny； ain't it？
LADY MOGTON I am sorry。
SIGSBY ＇He snarls。＇ 〃The Mother's Hand shall Help Us！〃 One of
your posters； I think。
LADY MOGTON You shouldn't have insulted themcalling them old
washerwomen！
SIGSBY Insult！ Can't one indulge in a harmless jeu d'esprit＇he
pronounces it according to his own ideas＇without having one's
clothes torn off one's back？ ＇Fiercely。＇ What do you mean by it
disgracing your sex？
LADY MOGTON Are you addressing me？
SIGSBY All of you。 Upsetting the foundations upon which society
has been rearedthe natural and lawful subjection of the woman to
the man。 Why don't you read St。 Paul？
LADY MOGTON St。 Paul was addressing Christians。 When men behave
like Christians there will be no need of Votes for Women。 You read
St。 Paul on men。 ＇To JANET。＇ I shall want you！
＇She goes out； followed by JANET。＇
＇SIGSBY gives vent to a gesture。＇
JAWBONES Getting saucy； ain't they？
SIGSBY Over…indulgence。 That's what the modern woman is suffering
from。 Gets an idea on Monday that she'd like the whole world
altered； if it isn't done by Saturday； raises hell！ Where's the
guv'nor？
JAWBONES Hasn't been here。
SIGSBY ＇Hands JAWBONES his damaged hat。＇ See if they can do
anything to that。 If not； get me a new one。 ＇He forks out a
sovereign。＇ Sure to be some shops open in the High Street。 ＇LAMB
and ST。 HERBERT enter。＇
LAMB Hallo！ have they been mauling you？
SIGSBY ＇He snatches the damaged hat from JAWBONES； to hand it back
the next moment； holds it out。＇ Woman's contribution to politics。
Get me a collar at the same timesixteen and a half。
＇JAWBONES takes his cap and goes out。 The men hang up their
overcoats。＇
SIGSBY Where's it all going to end？ That's what I want to know！
ST。 HERBERT Where most things end。 In the millennium； according
to its advocates。 In the ruin of the country； according to its
opponents。 In mild surprise on the part of the next generation
that ever there was any fuss about it。
SIGSBY In amazement； you mean； that their fathers were so blind as
not to see where it was leading。 My boy； this is going to alter
the whole relationship between the sexes！
ST。 HERBERT Is it so perfect as it is？
＇A silence。＇
Might it not be established on a more workable； a more enduring
basis if woman were allowed a share in the shaping of it？
＇Some woman in the crowd starts the refrain； 〃We'll hang old
Asquith on a sour apple tree。〃 It is taken up with quiet
earnestness by others。＇
SIGSBY Shaping it！ Nice sort of shape it will be by the time that
lot ＇with a gesture； including the crowd； LADY MOGTON & Co。＇ have
done knocking it about。 Wouldn't be any next generation to be
surprised at anything if some of them had their way。
ST。 HERBERT The housebreakers come firstnot a class of work
demanding much intelligence； the builders come later。 Have you
seen Chilvers？
LAMB I left him at the House。 He couldn't get away。
SIGSBY There's your object…lesson for you。 We don't need to go
far。 A man's whole career ruined by the wife he nourishes。
ST。 HERBERT How do you mean； 〃ruined？〃
SIGSBY So it is。 If she wins the election and claims the seat。
Do you think the Cabinet will want him？ Their latest addition
compelled to appeal to the House of Commons to fight for him
against his own womenfolk。 ＇Grunts。＇ He'll be the laughing…stock
of the whole country。
ST。 HERBERT Do you know for certain that they mean to claim the
seat？
SIGSBY 〃Wait and see〃 is their answer。
LAMB Hasn't Chilvers any idea？
SIGSBY Can't get him to talk。 Don't think he's seen her since
that shindy over the Deputation。
LAMB Humph！
SIGSBY Even if she herself wished to draw back； the others would
overrule her。
LAMB I'm not so sure of that。 She's got a way of shutting her
mouth that reminds me of my old woman。
SIGSBY The arrangement； as he explained it to me； was that the
whole thing was to end with the polling。 It was to have been a
mere joke； a mere ballon d'essai。 The mistake he made was thinking
he could depend on her。
LAMB Guess she made the same mistake。 You can fight and shake
hands afterwards； it doesn't go with kissing。
SIGSBY Man and woman were not made to fight。 It was never
intended。
＇The woman's 〃Marseillaise〃 has been taken up by the crowd。 The
chorus has been reached。＇
Oh； damn your row！ ＇He slams to the window； it was ajar。＇
＇JAWBONES has entered； with his purchases。＇
＇Turning from window he sees JAWBONES； goes to meet him。＇ Couldn't
they do anything？
JAWBONES ＇He has bought a new hat； has also brought back the
remains。 He shakes his head。＇ No good for anything else but a
memento。
SIGSBY ＇With a grunt he snatches the thing and flings it into a
corner。 Tries on the new one。＇
JAWBONES 'Ow's it feel？
＇SIGSBY； with the help of JAWBONES； attends to his appearance。＇
LAMB ＇To ST。 HERBERT。＇ No use talking to her； I suppose？
ST。 HERBERT ＇Shrugs his shoulders。＇ She'll do what she imagines
to be her duty。 Women are so uncivilised。
＇A burst of cheering is heard。 A shrill male voice： 〃Three cheers
for Winston Churchill！〃 It is followed by an explosion of yells。＇
ST。 HERBERT Who's that？
LAMB ＇He has opened the window。＇ Phoebe Mogton！
SIGSBY What a family！
＇JANET has entered。＇
JANET Is that Mrs。 Chilvers？ ＇To LAMB and ST。 HERBERT。＇ Good
evening。
ST。 HERBERT Good evening。
LAMB No； it's her sister。
JANET I wonder she doesn't come。
SIGSBY What are the latest figures？ Do you know？
＇PHOEBE enters。＇
JANET I forget the numbers。 Mrs。 Chilvers is forty ahead。
PHOEBE Forty ahead！ ＇To JANET。＇ Did you order the band？
LAMB ＇To SIGSBY。＇ The Dock division was against him to a man；
that Shipping Bill has upset them。
JANET No。 I didn't think we should want the band。
PHOEBE Not want it！ My dear girl …
JANET Perhaps Lady Mogton has ordered it； I'll ask her。 ＇She goes
out。＇
SIGSBY Hadn't you better 〃Wait and see〃？ It isn't over yet。
PHOEBE We may as well have it！ It can play the Dead March in
〃Saul〃 if you win。 ＇She laughs。＇
SIGSBY ＇Grunts。 To LAMB。＇ Are you coming？
＇He goes out。＇
LAMB Yes。 ＇To ST。 HERBERT。＇ Are you coming？
ST。 HERBERT Hardly worth while； nearly over； isn't it？
LAMB It generally takes an hour and a half。 ＇He looks at his
watch。＇ Another forty minutes。 Perhaps less。 ＇He goes out。＇
PHOEBE I do love to make him ratty。 Wish it wasn't poor old Geoff
we were fighting。
ST。 HERBERT When I marry； it will be the womanly woman。
PHOEBE No chance for me then？
ST。 HERBERT I don't say that。 I can see you taking