any
purpose so frivolous as saying good evening, but to deposit what were
left of the handbills and the precious portfolio in the care of one well
known by now to have a motherly oversight of such properties.

Lord Borrodaile's eyes narrowed with amusement as he watched the hurried
pantomime.

Instead of 'Thank you,' as Vida meekly accepted the incongruous and by
no means light burden: 'We are short of speakers,' said Ernestine.
'You'll help us out, won't you?' As though it were the simplest thing in
the world.

Lord Borrodaile half rose in protest.

'No,' said Vida. 'I won't speak till I have something to say.'

'I should have thought there was plenty to _say_!' said the girl.

'Yes, for you. You know such a lot,' smiled her new friend. 'I must get
some first-hand knowledge, too, before I try to stand up and speechify.'

'It's now we need help. By-and-by there'll be plenty. But I'm not going
to worry you,' she caught herself up. Then, confidentially, 'We've got
one new helper that we've great hopes of. She joined to-day.'

'Some one who can speak?'

'Oh, she'll speak, I dare say, by and by.'

'What does she do in the meantime--to----' (to account for your
enthusiasm, was implied) 'to show she's a helper? Subscribes?'

'I expect she'll subscribe, too. She takes such an interest. Plenty of
courage, too.'

'How do you know?'

'Well'--the voice dropped--'she's _all right_, but she belongs to rather
stodgy people. Bothers about respectability, and that sort of thing. But
she came along with me this afternoon distributing handbills all over
the City for two hours! Not many women of her kind are ready to do
_that_ the first thing.'

'No, I dare say not,' said Vida, humbly.

'And one thing I thought a very good sign'--Ernestine bent lower in her
enthusiasm--'when we got to Finsbury Circus she said'--Ernestine paused
as if struck afresh by the merits of the new recruit--'she said, "_Give
me a piece of chalk!_"'

'Chalk! What did she want with----?'

Borrodaile, too, leaned nearer.

'She saw me beginning to write meeting notices on the stones. Of course,
the people stopped and stared and laughed. But she, instead of getting
shy, and pretending she hadn't anything to do with me, she took the
chalk and wrote, "Votes for Women!" all over the pavement of Finsbury
Circus.' Ernestine paused a moment that Miss Levering might applaud the
new 'helper.' 'I thought that a very good sign in such a respectable
person