e justified the course that led to Holloway--

'Rot! Piffle!' they interjected. One man called out: 'I'd have some
respect for you if you'd carried a bomb into the House of Commons, but a
miserable little scuffle with the police!'

'Here's a gentleman who is inciting us to carry bombs. Now, that shocks
me.'

The crowd recovered its spirits at the notion of the champion-shocker
shocked.

'We've been dreadfully browbeaten about our tactics, but that gentleman
with his bad advice makes our tactics sound as innocent and reasonable
as they actually are. When you talk in that wild way about bombs--you--I
may be a hooligan'--she held up the delicate pink-and-white face with
excellent effect--'but you do shock me.'

It wore well this exquisitely humorous jest about shocking a
Suffragette. The whole crowd was one grin.

'I'm specially shocked when I hear a _man_ advocating such a thing! You
men have other and more civilized ways of getting the Government to pay
attention to abuses. Now listen to what I'm saying: for it's the
justification of everything we are going to do in the future, _unless_
we get what we're asking for! It's this. Our justification is that men,
even poor men, have that powerful leverage of the vote. You men have no
right to resort to violence; you have a better way. We have _no_ way but
agitation. A _Liberal_ Government that refuses----'

'Three cheers for the Liberals! Hip, hip----'

'My friend, I see you are young,' says Ernestine.

'Lord, wot are you?' the young man hurled back.

'Before I got my political education, when _I_ was young and innocent,
like this gentleman, who still pins his faith to the Liberals, I, too,
hoped great things from them. My friends, it's a frame of mind we
outlive!'--and her friends shrieked with delight.

'Well, it's one way for a girl to amuse herself till she gets married,'
said Borrodaile.

'Why, that's just what the hooligans all say!' laughed Vida. 'And, like
you, they think that if a woman wants justice for other women she must
have a grievance of her own. I've heard them ask Ernestine in
Battersea--she has valiant friends there--"Oo's 'urt _your_ feelin's?"
they say. "Tell me, and I'll punch 'is 'ead." But you aren't here to
listen to _me_!' Vida caught herself up. 'This is about the deputation
of women that waited on the Prime Minister.'

'Didn't get nothin' out of him!' somebody shouted.

'Oh, yes, we did! We got the best speech in favour of Woman's S