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＇She turns aside for a moment to talk to ST。 HERBERT； who has taken
some papers from his despatch…box。＇
ANNYS ＇To ELIZABETH。＇ We must finish out our talk some other
time。 You are quite wrong。
ELIZABETH Perhaps。
LADY MOGTON We had better begin。 I have only got half an hour。
JANET I saw Mrs。 Villiers。 She promised she'd come。
LADY MOGTON You should have told her we were going to be
photographed。 Then she'd have been punctual。 ＇She has taken her
seat at the table。 ST。 HERBERT at her right。＇ Better put another
chair in case she does turn up。
JANET ＇Does so。＇ Shall I take any notes？
LADY MOGTON No。 ＇To ANNYS。＇ Give instructions that we are not to
be interrupted for anything。 ＇ANNYS rings bell。＇
ST。 HERBERT ＇He turns to PHOEBE； on his right。＇ Have you heard
the latest？
There was an old man of Hong Kong；
Whose language was terribly strong。
＇Enter HAKE。 He brings a bottle and glass； which he places。＇
ANNYS Oh； Hake； please； don't let us be interrupted for anything。
If Mrs。 Mountcalm…Villiers comes； show her up。 But nobody else。
HAKE Yes； ma'am。
ST。 HERBERT ＇Continuing。＇
It wasn't the words
That frightened the birds；
'Twas the 'orrible double…entendre。
LADY MOGTON ＇Who has sat waiting in grim silence。＇ Have you
finished？
ST。 HERBERT Quite finished。
LADY MOGTON Thank you。 ＇She raps for silence。＇ You will
understand； please； all； that this is a private meeting of the
Council。 Nothing that transpires is to be allowed to leak out。
＇There is a murmur。＇ Silence； please； for Mr。 St。 Herbert。
ST。 HERBERT Before we begin； I should like to remind you； ladies；
that you are； all of you； persons mentally deficient …
＇The door opens。 MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS enters； announced by
HAKE。 She is a showily…dressed； flamboyant lady。＇
＇HAKE goes out。＇
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS I AM so sorry。 I have only just this
minute＇She catches sight of ST。 HERBERT。＇ You naughty creature；
why weren't you at my meeting last night？ The Rajah came with both
his wives。 We've elected them； all three； honorary members。
LADY MOGTON Do you mind sitting down？
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS Here； dear？ ＇She takes the vacant chair。＇
So nice of you。 I read about your meeting。 What a clever idea！
LADY MOGTON ＇Cuts her short。＇ Yes。 We are here to consider a
very important matter。 By way of commencement Mr。 St。 Herbert has
just reminded us that in the eye of the law all women are
imbeciles。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS I know； dear。 Isn't it shocking？
ST。 HERBERT Deplorable； but of course not your fault。 I mention
it because of its importance to the present matter。 Under Clause A
of the Act for the Better Regulation； &c。； &c。； all persons
〃mentally deficient〃 are debarred from becoming members of
Parliament。 The classification has been held to include idiots；
infants； and women。
＇An interruption。 LADY MOGTON hammers。＇
Bearing this carefully in mind； we proceed。 ＇He refers to his
notes。＇ Two years ago a bye…election took place for the South…west
division of Belfast。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS My dear； may I？ It has just occurred to
me。 Why do we never go to Ireland？
LADY MOGTON For various sufficient reasons。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS So many of the Irish members have
expressed themselves quite sympathetically。
LADY MOGTON We wish them to continue to do so。 ＇Turns to ST。
HERBERT。＇ I'm sorry。
ST。 HERBERT A leader of the Orange Party was opposed by a
Nationalist； and the proceedings promised to be lively。 They
promised for a while to be still livelier； owing to the nomination
at the last moment of the local lunatic。
PHOEBE ＇To ANNYS。＇ This is where we come in。
ST。 HERBERT There is always a local lunatic； who； if harmless； is
generally a popular character。 James Washington McCaw appears to
have been a particularly cheerful specimen。 One of his
eccentricities was to always have a skipping…rope in his pocket；
wherever the traffic allowed it； he would go through the streets
skipping。 He said it kept him warm。 Another of his tricks was to
let off fireworks from the roof of his house whenever he heard of
the death of anybody of importance。 The Returning Officer refused
his nominationwhich； so far as his nominators were concerned； was
intended only as a jokeon the grounds of his being by common
report a person of unsound mind。 And there； so far as South…west
Belfast was concerned； the matter ended。
PHOEBE Pity。
ST。 HERBERT But not so far as the Returning Officer was concerned。
McCaw appears to have been a lunatic possessed of means； imbued
with all an Irishman's love of litigation。 He at once brought an
action against the Returning Officer； his contention being that his
mental state was a private matter； of which the Returning Officer
was not the person to judge。
PHOEBE He wasn't a lunatic all over。
ST。 HERBERT We none of us are。 The case went from court to court。
In every instance the decision was in favour of the Returning
Officer。 Until it reached the House of Lords。 The decision was
given yesterday afternoonin favour of the man McCaw。
ELIZABETH Then lunatics； at all events； are not debarred from
going to the poll。
ST。 HERBERT The 〃mentally deficient〃 are no longer debarred from
going to the poll。
ELIZABETH What grounds were given for the decision？
ST。 HERBERT ＇He refers again to his notes。＇ A Returning Officer
can only deal with objections arising out of the nomination paper。
He has no jurisdiction to go behind a nomination paper and
constitute himself a court of inquiry as to the fitness or
unfitness of a candidate。
PHOEBE Good old House of Lords！
＇LADY MOGTON hammers。＇
ELIZABETH But I thought it was part of the Returning Officer's
duty to inquire into objections； that a special time was appointed
to deal with them。
ST。 HERBERT He will still be required to take cognisance of any
informality in the nomination paper or papers。 Beyond that； this
decision relieves him of all further responsibility。
JANET But this gives us everything。
ST。 HERBERT It depends upon what you call everything。 It gives a
woman the right to go to the polla right which； as a matter of
fact； she has always possessed。
PHOEBE Then why did the Returning Officer for Camberwell in 1885 …
ST。 HERBERT Because he did not know the law。 And Miss Helen
Taylor had not the means possessed by our friend McCaw to teach it
to him。
ANNYS ＇Rises。 She goes to the centre of the room。＇
LADY MOGTON Where are you going？
ANNYS ＇She turns； there are tears in her eyes。 The question seems
to recall her to herself。＇ Nowhere。 I am so sorry。 I can't help
it。 It seems to me to mean so much。 It gives us the right to go
before the peopleto plead to them； not for ourselves； for them。
＇Again she seems to lose consciousness of those at the table； of
the room。＇ To the men we will say： 〃Will you not trust us？ Is it
harm we have ever done you？ Have we not suffered for you and with
you？ Were we not sent into the world to be your helpmeet？ Are not
the children ours as well as yours？ Shall we not work together to
shape the worl