ipated, and all that
sort of nonsense.

Hadria was not surprised that he could not stand it.

There had been a scathing article, the youth said, in one of the evening
papers. He wondered how the "New Woman" felt after reading it! It simply
made mincemeat of her.

"Wretched creature!" Hadria exclaimed.

The youth wished that women would really _do_ something, instead of
making all this fuss.

Hadria agreed that it _was_ a pity they were so inactive. Could not one
or two of the more favoured sex manage to inspire them with a little
initiative?

The youth considered that women were, by nature, passive and reflective,
not original.

Hadria thought the novelty of that idea not the least of its charms.

The youth allowed that, in her own way, and in her own sphere, woman was
charming and singularly intelligent. He had no objection to her
developing as much as she pleased, in proper directions. (Hadria felt
really encouraged.) But it was so absurd to pretend that women could do
work that was peculiar to men. (Hadria agreed, with a chuckle.) When had
they written one of Shakespeare's dramas? (When indeed? History was
ominously silent on that point.)

"Hadria, what is amusing you?" enquired her hostess, across the table.

"Oh, well--only the discouraging fact that no woman, as Mr. St. George
convincingly points out, has ever written one of Shakespeare's dramas!"

"Oh," said Lady Engleton with a broad smile, "but you know, Mr. St.
George, we really haven't had quite the same chances, have we?"

Perhaps not quite, as far as literature went, the youth admitted
tolerantly, but there was failure in original work in every direction.
This was no blame to women; they were not made that way, but facts _had_
to be recognised. Women's strength lay in a different domain--in the
home. It was of no use to try to fight against Nature. Look at music for
instance; one required no particular liberty to pursue _that_ art, yet
where were the women-composers? If there was so much buried talent among
women, why didn't they arise and bring out operas and oratorios?

Hadria couldn't understand it; especially as the domestic life was
arranged, one might almost say, with a special view to promoting musical
talent in the mistress of the household. Yet where were those oratorios?
She shook her head. Mr. St. George, she thought, had clearly proved that
the inherent nature of women was passive and imitative, while that of
man, even in the lea