lp. Oh, we are
old hands at it now, and we can see through the game!'

'Old 'and _she_ is! Ha! ha! Old 'and!'

'Do they let you sit up for supper?'

'We are going to every contested election from this on.'

'Lord, yes! Rain or shine _they_ don't mind!'

'They'll find they'll always have us to reckon with. And we aren't _the
least bit_ impressed any more, when a candidate tells us he's in favour
of Woman's Suffrage. We say, "Oh, we've got four hundred and twenty of
your kind already!"'

'Oh! oh!'

'Haw! haw!'

'Oo did you say that to?'

By name she held up to scorn the candidates who had given every reason
for the general belief that they were indifferent, if not opposed, to
Woman's Suffrage till the moment came for contesting a seat.

'Then when they find us there (we hear it keeps them awake at night,
thinking we always _will_ be there in future!)--when they find us there,
they hold up their little white flags. Yes. And they say, "Oh, but I'm
in favour of Votes for Women!" We just smile.'

The damp gathering in front of her hallooed.

'Yes. And when they protest what splendid friends of the Suffrage they
are, we say, "You don't care twopence about it. You are like the humbugs
who are there in the House of Commons already."'

'Humbugs!'

'Calls 'em 'umbugs to their fyces! Haw! haw!'

Roars and booing filled the air.

'We know, for many of us helped to put them there. But that was before
we knew any better. _Never again!_'

Once more that wise little wag of the head, while the people shrieked
with laughter. It was highly refreshing to think those Government blokes
couldn't take in Ernestine.

'It's only the very young or the very foolish who will ever be caught
that way again,' she assured them.

''Ow old are you?'

'Much too old to----'

'Just the right age to think about gettin' married,' shouted a
pasty-faced youth.

'Haw! haw!'

Then a very penetrating voice screamed, 'Will you be mine?' and that
started off several others. Though the interruptions did not anger nor
in the least discompose this surprising young person in the cart--so far
at least as could be seen--the audience looked in vain for her to give
the notice to these that she had to other interruptions. It began to be
plain that, ready as she was to take 'a straight ball' from anybody in
the crowd, she discouraged impertinence by dint of an invincible
deafness. If you wanted to get a rise out of Ernestine you had to talk
abo