But without the exclamation, Miss Levering must have seen that she had
been speaking in an unknown tongue. A world where beauty exists for
beauty's sake--which is love's sake--and not for tricking money or power
out of men, even the possibility of such a world is beyond the imagining
of many.

Something was said about a deputation of women who had waited on Mr.
Greatorex.

'Hm, yes, yes.' He fiddled with his watch chain.

As though she had just recalled the circumstances, 'Oh, yes,' Vida said,
'I remember I thought at the time, in my modest way, it was nothing
short of heroic of them to go asking audience of their arch opponent.'

'It didn't come off!' He wagged his strange head.

'Oh,' she said innocently, 'I thought they insisted on bearding the lion
in his den.'

'Of course I wasn't going to be bothered with a lot of----'

'You don't mean you refused to go out and face them!'

He put on a comic look of terror. 'I wouldn't have done it for worlds!
But a friend of mine went and had a look at 'em.'

'Well,' she laughed,'did he get back alive?'

'Yes, but he advised me not to go. "You're quite right," he said. "Don't
you think of bothering," he said. "I've looked over the lot," he said,
"and there isn't a week-ender among 'em."'

Upon the general laugh that drew Hermione and Captain Beeching into the
group, Jean precipitated herself gaily into the conversation. 'Have they
told you about Mrs. Freddy's friend who came to tea here in the winter?'
she asked Hermione. 'He was a member of Parliament, too--quite a little
young one--he said women would never be respected till they had the
vote!'

Mr. Greatorex snorted, the other men smiled, and all the women, except
Aunt Lydia, did the same.

'I remember telling him,' Mrs. Heriot said, with marked severity, 'that
he was too young to know what he was talking about.'

'Yes, I'm afraid you all sat on the poor gentleman,' said Lord
Borrodaile.

'It was such fun. He was flat as a pancake when we'd done with him. Aunt
Ellen was here. She told him with her most distinguished air she didn't
want to be respected.'

'Dear Lady John!' murmured Miss Levering. 'I can hear her!'

'Quite right,' said Captain Beeching. 'Awful idea to think you're
_respected_.'

'Simply revolting,' agreed Miss Heriot.

'Poor little man!' laughed Jean, 'and he thought he was being _so_
agreeable!'

'Instead of which it was you.'

Miss Levering said the curious words quite pleasantly