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ride outside。
PHOEBE Silly kid； why didn't you take a cab？
JANET I've been reckoning it up。 I've been half over London
chasing Mrs。 Mountcalm…Villiers。 Cabs would have come； at the very
least； to twelve…and…six。
PHOEBE Well …
JANET ＇To ELIZABETH。＇ WellI want you to put me down as a
contributor for twelve…and…six。 ＇She smiles。＇ It's the only way I
can give。
PHOEBE ＇She is taking off JANET'S cloak； throws it to HAKE。＇ Have
this put somewhere to dry。 ＇She pushes JANET to the fire。＇ Get
near the fire。 You're as cold as ice。
ELIZABETH All the seats inside； I suppose； occupied by the
chivalrous sex。
JANET Oh； there was one young fellow offered to give me up his
place； but I wouldn't let him。 You see； we're claiming equality。
＇Smiles。＇
ELIZABETH And are being granted itin every direction where it
works to the convenience of man。
PHOEBE ＇Laughs。＇ Is she comingthe Villiers woman？
JANET Yes。 I ran her down at lastat her dress…maker's。 She
made an awful fuss about it； but I wouldn't leave till she'd
promised。 Tell me； it's something quite important； isn't it？
PHOEBE I don't know anything； except that I had an urgent telegram
from mamma this morning to call a meeting of the entire Council
here at three o'clock。 She's coming up from Manchester on purpose。
＇To HAKE。＇ Mrs。 Chilvers hasn't returned yet； has she？
HAKE Not yet； miss。 Shall I telephone …
PHOEBE ＇Shakes her head。＇ No； it's all right。 I have seen her。
Let her know we are here the moment she comes in。
HAKE Yes； miss。 ＇He has finished the arrangements。 The table has
been placed in the centre of the room； six chairs round it； one of
them being a large armchair。 He has placed writing materials and a
large silver gravy spoon。 He is going。＇
PHOEBE Why aren't you sure your wife wasn't at the meeting last
night？ Didn't she say anything？
HAKE Well； miss； unfortunately； just as she was starting； Mrs。
Comerfordthat's the wife of the party that keeps the shop
downstairslooked in with an order for the theatre。
PHOEBE Oh！
HAKE So I thought it best to ask no questions。
PHOEBE Thank you。
HAKE Thank you； miss。 ＇He goes out。＇
ELIZABETH Can nothing be done to rouse the working…class woman out
of her apathy？
PHOEBE Well； if you ask me； I think a good deal has been done。
ELIZABETH Oh； what's the use of our deceiving ourselves？ The
great mass are utterly indifferent。
JANET ＇She is seated in an easy…chair near the fire。＇ I was
talking to a woman only yesterdayin Bethnal Green。 She keeps a
husband and three children by taking in washing。 〃Lord； miss；〃 she
laughed； 〃what would we do with the vote if we did have it？ Only
one thing more to give to the men。〃
PHOEBE That's rather good。
ELIZABETH The curse of it is that it's true。 Why should they put
themselves out merely that one man instead of another should
dictate their laws to them？
PHOEBE My dear girl； precisely the same argument was used against
the Second Reform Bill。 What earthly difference could it make to
the working men whether Tory Squire or Liberal capitalist ruled
over them？ That was in 1868。 To…day； fifty…four Labour Members
sit in Parliament。 At the next election they will hold the
balance。
ELIZABETH Ah； if we could only hold out THAT sort of hope to them！
＇ANNYS enters。 She is in outdoor costume。 She kisses PHOEBE；
shakes hands with the other two。 ANNYS's age is about twenty…five。
She is a beautiful； spiritual…looking creature； tall and graceful；
with a manner that is at the same time appealing and commanding。
Her voice is soft and caressing； but capable of expressing all the
emotions。 Her likeness to her younger sister PHOEBE is of the
slightest： the colouring is the same； and the eyes that can flash；
but there the similarity ends。 She is simply but well dressed。
Her soft hair makes a quiet but wonderfully effective frame to her
face。＇
ANNYS ＇She is taking off her outdoor things。＇ Hope I'm not late。
I had to look in at Caxton House。 Why are we holding it here？
PHOEBE Mamma's instructions。 Can't tell you anything more except
that I gather the matter's important； and is to be kept secret。
ANNYS Mamma isn't here； is she？
PHOEBE ＇Shakes her head。＇ Reaches St。 Pancras at two…forty。
＇Looks at her watch。＇ Train's late； I expect。
＇HAKE has entered。＇
ANNYS ＇She hands HAKE her hat and coat。＇ Have something ready in
case Lady Mogton hasn't lunched。 Is your master in？
HAKE A messenger came for him soon after you left； ma'am。 I was
to tell you he would most likely be dining at the House。
ANNYS Thank you。
＇HAKE goes out。＇
ANNYS ＇To ELIZABETH。＇ I so want you to meet Geoffrey。 He'll
alter your opinion of men。
ELIZABETH My opinion of men has been altered once or twiceeach
time for the worse。
ANNYS Why do you dislike men？
ELIZABETH ＇With a short laugh。＇ Why does the slave dislike the
slave…owner？
PHOEBE Oh； come off the perch。 You spend five thousand a year
provided for you by a husband that you only see on Sundays。 We'd
all be slaves at that price。
ELIZABETH The chains have always been stretched for the few。 My
sympathies are with my class。
ANNYS But men like Geoffreymen who are devoting their whole time
and energy to furthering our cause； what can you have to say
against them？
ELIZABETH Simply that they don't know what they're doing。 The
French Revolution was nursed in the salons of the French nobility。
When the true meaning of the woman's movement is understood we
shall have to get on without the male sympathiser。
＇A pause。＇
ANNYS What do you understand is the true meaning of the woman's
movement？
ELIZABETH The dragging down of man from his position of supremacy。
What else can it mean？
ANNYS Something much better。 The lifting up of woman to be his
partner。
ELIZABETH My dear Annys； the men who to…day are advocating votes
for women are doing so in the hope of securing obedient supporters
for their own political schemes。 In New Zealand the working man
brings his female relations in a van to the poll； and sees to it
that they vote in accordance with his orders。 When man once grasps
the fact that woman is not going to be his henchman； but his rival；
men and women will face one another as enemies。
＇The door opens。 HAKE announces LADY MOGTON and DORIAN ST。
HERBERT。 LADY MOGTON is a large； strong…featured woman； with a
naturally loud voice。 She is dressed with studied carelessness。
DORIAN ST。 HERBERT； K。C。； is a tall； thin man； about thirty。 He is
elegantly； almost dandily dressed。＇
ANNYS ＇Kissing her mother。＇ Have you had lunch？
LADY MOGTON In the train。
PHOEBE ＇Who has also kissed her mother and shaken hands with ST。
HERBERT。＇ We are all here except Villiers。 She's coming。 Did you
have a good meeting？
LADY MOGTON Fairly。 Some young fool had chained himself to a
pillar and thrown the key out of window。
PHOEBE What did you do？
LADY MOGTON Tied a sack over his head and left him there。
＇She turns aside for a moment to talk to ST。 HERBERT； who has taken
some papers from his despatch…box。＇
ANNYS ＇To