The Socialist had left the platform with the threat that he was "coming down now to attend to that microbe that"s vitiating the air on my right, while a lady will say a few words to you--if she can myke "erself "eard."
He retired to a chorus of cheers and booing, while the chairman, more hara.s.sed than ever, it would seem, but determined to create a diversion, was saying that some one had suggested--"and it"s such a good idea I"d like you to listen to it--that a clause shall be inserted in the next Suffrage Bill that shall expressly give to each Cabinet Minister, and to any respectable man, the power to prevent a vote being given to the female members of his family, on his public declaration of their lack of sufficient intelligence to ent.i.tle them to one."
"Oh! oh!"
"Now, I ask you to listen as quietly as you can to a lady who is not accustomed to speaking--a--in Trafalgar Square, or--a--as a matter of fact, at all."
"A dumb lady!"
"Hooray!"
"Three cheers for the dumb lady!"
The chairman was dreadfully fl.u.s.tered at the unfortunate turn his speech had taken.
"A lady who, as I"ve said, will tell you, if you"ll behave yourselves----"
"Oh! oh!"
"Will tell you something of her impression of police-court justice in this country."
Jean stole a wondering look at Stonor"s sphinx-like face as Vida Levering came forward.
There she stood, obviously very much frightened, with the unaccustomed colour coming and going in her white face--farther back than any of the practised speakers--there she stood like one who too much values the s.p.a.ce between her and the mob voluntarily to lessen it by half an inch.
The voice was steady enough, though low, as she began.
"Mr. Chairman, men, and women----"
"Speak up."
She flushed, came nearer to the edge of the platform, and raised the key a little.
"I just wanted to tell you that I was--I was present in the police court when the women were charged for creating a disturbance."
"You oughtn"t to get mix"d up in wot didn"t concern you!"
"I--I----" She stumbled and stopped.
"Give the lady a hearing," said a shabby art-student, magisterially. He seemed not ill-pleased when he had drawn a certain number of eyes to his long hair, picturesque hat, and flowing Byronic tie.
"Wot"s the lydy"s nyme?"
"I ain"t seen this one before."
"Is she Mrs. or Miss?"
"She"s dumb, anyway, like "e said."
"Haw! haw!"
The anxious chairman was fidgeting in an agony of apprehension. He whispered some kind prompting word after he had flung out--
"Now, see here, men; fair play, you know."
"I think I ought----" Vida began.
"No wonder she can"t find a word to say for "em. They"re a disgryce, miss--them women behind you. It"s the w"y they goes on as mykes the Govermint keep ye from gettin" yer rights."
The chairman had lost his temper. "It"s the way _you_ go on," he screamed; but the din was now so great, not even he could be heard. He stood there waving his arms and moving his lips while his dark eyes glittered.
Miss Levering turned and pantomimed to Ernestine, "You see it"s no use!"
Thus appealed to, the girl came forward, and said something in the ear of the frantic chairman. When he stopped gyrating, and nodded, Miss Blunt came to the edge of the platform, and held up her hand as if determined to stem this tide of unfavourable comment upon the dreadful women who were complicating the Election difficulties of both parties.
"Listen," says Ernestine; "I"ve got something to propose." They waited an instant to hear what this precious proposal might be. "If the Government withholds the vote because they don"t like the way some of us ask for it, let them give it to the quiet ones. Do they want to punish all women because they don"t like the manners of a handful? Perhaps that"s men"s notion of justice. It isn"t ours."
"Haw! haw!"
"Yes"--Miss Levering plucked up courage, seeing her friend sailing along so safely. "This is the first time I"ve ever "gone on," as you call it, but they never gave me a vote."
"_No_," says Miss Ernestine, with energy--"and there are"--she turned briskly, with forefinger uplifted punctuating her count--"there are two, three, four women on this platform. Now, we all want the vote, as you know."
"Lord, yes, we know _that_."
"Well, we"d agree to be disfranchised all our lives if they"d give the vote to all the other women."
"Look here! You made one speech--give the lady a chance."
Miss Blunt made a smiling little bob of triumph. "That"s just what I wanted you to say!" And she retired.
Miss Levering came forward again. But the call to "go on" had come a little suddenly.
"Perhaps you--you don"t know--you don"t know----"
"_How_"re we going to know if you can"t tell us?" demanded a sarcastic voice.
It steadied her. "Thank you for that," she said, smiling. "We couldn"t have a better motto. How _are_ you to know if we can"t somehow manage to tell you?" With a visible effort she went on, "Well, _I_ certainly didn"t know before that the sergeants and policemen are instructed to deceive the people as to the time such cases are heard."
"It"s just as hard," said a bystander to his companion, "_just_ as hard for learned counsel in the august quiet of the Chancery Division to find out when their cases are really coming on."
"You ask, and you"re sent to Marlborough Police Court," said Miss Levering, "instead of to Marylebone."
"They oughter send yer to "Olloway--do y" good."
"You go on, miss. n.o.body minds "im."
"Wot can you expect from a pig but a grunt?"
"You are told the case will be at two o"clock, and it"s really called for eleven. Well, I took a great deal of trouble, and I didn"t believe what I was told." She was warming a little to her task. "Yes, that"s almost the first thing we have to learn--to get over our touching faith that because a man tells us something, it"s true. I got to the right court, and I was so anxious not to be late, I was too early."