Miss Burstall and Miss Farmer went out. Miss Blackadder
counted--"One--two--"

Eight of the eleven young girls signed and handed in the white slips at
the door, and went out.

"Three--four--"

Miss Blackadder reckoned that Dorothea Harrison's speech had cost her
five recruits. Her own fighting speech had carried the eleven in a
compact body to her side: Dorothea's speech had divided and scattered
them again.

Miss Blackadder hurled her personality at the heads of audiences in the
certainty that it would hit them hard. That was what she was there for.
She knew that the Women's Franchise union relied on her to wring from
herself the utmost spectacular effect. And she did it every time. She
never once missed fire. And Dorothea Harrison had come down on the top
of her triumph and destroyed the effect of all her fire. She had
corrupted five recruits. And, supposing there was a secret program, she
had betrayed the women of the Union to fourteen outsiders, by giving it
away. Treachery or no treachery, Dorothea Harrison would have to pay
for it.

* * * * *

Everybody had gone except the members of the Committee and Phyllis
Desmond who waited for her friend, Maud Blackadder.

Dorothy remembered Phyllis Desmond now; she was that art-student girl
that Vera knew. She had seen her at Vera's house.

They had drawn round the table again. Miss Blackadder and Miss Gilchrist
conferred in whispers.

"Before we go," said Rosalind, "I propose that we ask Miss Dorothea
Harrison to be our Vice-President."

Miss Gilchrist nodded to Miss Blackadder who rose. It was her moment.

"And _I_ propose," she said, "that before we invite Miss Harrison to be
anything we ask her to define her position--clearly and precisely."

She made a sign, and the Secretary was on her feet.

"And first we must ask Miss Harrison to explain _how_ she became
possessed of the secret policy of the Union which has never been
discussed at any open meeting and is unknown to members of the General
Committee."

"Then," said Dorothy, "there _is_ a secret policy?"

"You seem to know it. We have the right to ask _how_ you know? Unless
you invented it."

Dorothy faced them. It was inconceivable that it should have happened,
that she should be standing there, in the old schoolroom of her father's
house, while two strange women worried her. She knew that her back was
to the wall and that the Blackadder girl had been on the watch