But he wasn"t listened to--for several people were talking at once.
After receiving a few preliminary kicks, the subject had fallen, as a football might, plump into the very midst of a group of school-boys. Its sudden presence there stirred even the sluggish to unwonted feats. Every one must have his kick at this Suffrage Ball, and manners were for the nonce in abeyance.
In the midst of an obscuring dust of discussion, floated fragments of condemnation: "s.e.xless creatures!" "The Shrieking Sisterhood!" etc., in which the kindest phrase was Lord John"s repeated, "Touched, you know,"
as he tapped his forehead--"not really responsible, poor wretches.
Touched."
"Still, everybody doesn"t know that. It must give men a quite horrid idea of women," said Hermione, delicately.
"No"--Lord Borrodaile spoke with a wise forbearance--"we don"t confound a handful of half-insane females with the whole s.e.x."
d.i.c.k Farnborough was in the middle of a spirited account of that earlier outbreak in the North--
"She was yelling like a Red Indian, and the policeman carried her out scratching and spitting----"
"Ugh!" Hermione exchanged looks of horror with Paul Filey.
"Oh, yes," said Lady John, with disgust, "we saw all that in the papers."
Miss Levering, too, had turned her face away--not as Hermione did, to summon a witness to her detestation, but rather as one avoiding the eyes of the men.
"You see," said Farnborough, with gusto, "there"s something about women"s clothes--_especially_ their hats, you know--they--well, they ain"t built for battle."
"They ought to wear deer-stalkers," was Lady Sophia"s contribution to the New Movement.
"It is quite true," Lady John agreed, "that a woman in a scrimmage can never be a heroic figure."
"No, that"s just it," said Farnborough. "She"s just funny, don"t you know!"
"I don"t agree with you about the fun," Borrodaile objected. "That"s why I"m glad they"ve had their lesson. I should say there was almost nothing more degrading than this public spectacle of----" Borrodaile lifted his high shoulders higher still, with an effect of intense discomfort. "It never but once came my way that I remember, but I"m free to own," he said, "there"s nothing that shakes my nerves like seeing a woman struggling and kicking in a policeman"s arms."
But Farnborough was not to be dissuaded from seeing humour in the situation.
"They say they swept up a peck of hairpins after the battle!"
As though she had had as much of the subject as she could very well stand, Miss Levering leaned sideways, put an arm behind her, and took possession of her boa.
"They"re just ending the first act of _Siegfried_. How glad I am to be in your garden instead of Covent Garden!"
Ordinarily there would have been a movement to take the appreciative guest for a stroll.
Perhaps it was only chance, or the enervating heat, that kept the company in their chairs listening to Farnborough--
"The cattiest one of the two, there she stood like this, her clothes half torn off, her hair down her back, her face the colour of a lobster and the crowd jeering at her----"
"I don"t see how you could stand and look on at such a hideous scene,"
said Miss Levering.
"Oh--I--I didn"t! I"m only telling you how Wilkinson described it. He said----"
"How did Major Wilkinson happen to be there?" asked Lady John.
"He"d motored over from Headquarters to move a vote of thanks to the chairman. He said he"d seen some revolting things in his time, but the scrimmage of the stewards and the police with those women----!"
Farnborough ended with an expressive gesture.
"If it was as horrible as that for Major Wilkinson to look on at--what must it have been for those girls?" It was Miss Levering speaking. She seemed to have abandoned the hope of being taken for a stroll, and was leaning forward, chin in hand, looking at the fringe of the teacloth.
Richard Farnborough glanced at her as if he resented the note of wondering pity in the low tone.
"It"s never so bad for the lunatic," he said, "as for the sane people looking on."
"Oh, I don"t suppose _they_ mind," said Hermione--"women like _that_."
"It"s flattery to call them women. They"re s.e.xless monstrosities," said Paul Filey.
"You know some of them?" Vida raised her head.
"_I?_" Filey"s face was nothing less than aghast at the mere suggestion.
"But you"ve seen them----?"
"Heaven forbid!"
"But I suppose you"ve gone and listened to them haranguing the crowds."
"Now _do_ I look like a person who----"
"Well, you see we"re all so certain they"re such abominations," said Vida, "I thought maybe some of us knew something about them."
d.i.c.k Farnborough was heard saying to Lord John in a tone of cheerful vigour--
"Locking up is too good for "em. I"d give "em a good thrashin"."
"Spirited fellow!" said Miss Levering, promptly, with an accent that brought down a laugh on the young gentleman"s head.
He joined in it, but with a _naf_ uneasiness. What"s the matter with the woman?--his vaguely bewildered face seemed to inquire. After all, I"m only agreeing with her.
"Few of us have time, I imagine," said Filey, "to go and listen to their ravings."
As Filey was quite the idlest of men, without the preoccupation of being a tolerable sportsman or even a player of games, Miss Levering"s little laugh was echoed by others beside Lady Sophia.
"At all events," said Vida to Lord Borrodaile, as she stood up, and he drew her chair out of her way, "even if we don"t know much about these women, we"ve spent a happy hour denouncing them."
"Who"s going to have a short round before sundown?" said Lady Sophia, getting up briskly. "_You_, of course, Mr. Filey. Or are you too "busy"?"
"Say too thirsty. May I?" He carried his cup round to Lady John, not seeming to see Hermione"s hospitable hand held out for it.
In the general shuffle Farnborough found himself carried off by Sophia and Lord John.