'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. Nobody 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 an