work for their living offends
these people, does it?

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. Yes, that's the idea. A woman who works is always a
little--hum--well--you know what I mean. Of course I mean nothing to
annoy you.

MADAME NERISSE. You mean that your future tenants don't want their young
ladies to have our example before them.

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. No! That's just what they don't. Having independent
sort of people like you about makes 'em uneasy. For me, you know, I
wouldn't bother about it--only--of course you don't see it this way, but
you're odd--off the common somehow. You make one feel queer.

MADAME NERISSE. But there are plenty of women who work.

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. Oh, common women, yes; oh, that's all right.

MADAME NERISSE. If you have children, they have nurses and governesses.

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. Oh, those. They work, of course. They work for me,
that's quite different. But you--What bothers these ladies, Madame
Mafflu and all the others, is that you're in our own class. As for me I
stick to the old saying, "Woman's place is the home."

MADAME NERISSE. But there are women who have got no home.

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. That's their own fault.

MADAME NERISSE. Very often it's not at all their own fault. Where are
they to go? Into the streets?

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. I know, I know. There's all that. Still women can work
without being feminists.

MADAME NERISSE. Have you any idea what you mean by "feminist"?

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. Not very clear. I know the people I live among don't
know everything. I grant you all that. But _Woman Free! Woman Free!_
Madame Mafflu wants to know what liberty--or what liberties--singular or
plural; do you take me?--ha! ha! There might be questions asked.

MADAME NERISSE [_laughing_] You must do me the honor of introducing me
to Madame Mafflu. She must be an interesting woman. I'll go and see
her.

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. Oh, do! But not on a Wednesday.

MADAME NERISSE. Why not?

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. 'Cos Wednesday's her day.

MADAME NERISSE [_gayly_] I must give it up, then, as I'm free only on
Wednesdays.

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. I should like her to see for herself how nice you are.
Her friends have been talking to her. They thought that you--well--they
say feminist women are like the women were in the time of the Commune.
They said perhaps you'd even go on a deputation!

MADAME NERISSE. You wouldn't approve of that?

MONSIEUR MAFFLU. Oh, talkin' of that, one of my friends has an argument
nobody can answe