nt as a personal
grievance. I have met scores of them in Europe. To know anything of
politics they regard as the height of bad form."

"Sometimes I wish that our women would let them alone for a while. That
is my sister over there," indicating the lady with the Burne-Jones face.
"She has worn herself to a shadow working for her husband, who is in the
House, and she is heart and soul in politics--which she regards as a
sort of divine mission. She is on several committees, is far more useful
to her husband than his secretary, for she has the gift of style--and no
one would accuse Rex of that--and during an election she never rests.
Besides which, of course she has her little family, the usual number of
establishments to look after, and great social pressure. I always
maintain that our women are of immense service to us, but many of them
are physically unfit. I expect to see my sister go to pieces any day,
and as she is little short of an angel it worries me."

"She does look angelic," said Isabel, sympathetically. "Is that what is
the matter with the rest of them?--the thin ones, I mean?"

"Generally speaking. The thinnest is my cousin. I went in for a cup of
tea a week or two before the end of last session. There were several of
us about the tea-table when a footman entered and muttered something to
her, and with a vague word of apology she left the room and did not
return for half an hour. I thought the baby must be dying, and was about
to ring, when she reappeared and remarked that she had been sitting at
the telephone listening to a paper her husband had just finished on one
of the questions before the House. Some of them stand it better." He
indicated a fair beautiful creature with a determined profile and deep
womanly figure. "There is Mrs. Sefton, for instance. She presides at
committee meetings--she is great on colonial politics--for three or four
hours at a time, and always sails out as fresh as a rose; but she has
buried her husband and entertains when and whom she chooses. Lady
Cecilia opposite understands politics as well as any woman in England,
but does not go in for them--Spence isn't in the House; that may account
for it!"

"Your fashionable women do not in the least resemble ours," said Isabel,
meditatively. "They are far more like the women of our small towns."

"What!"

"It sounds paradoxical, but it is more than half true. Say two-thirds;
the other third is all in favor of your women, for obvious