EURIOT. I believe there is, but I know nothing about
it.

CAROLINE LEGRAND. I expect the paper's not going well, the jam hasn't
hidden the pill. Even Madame Nerisse's thirtieth article upon divorce at
the desire of one party hasn't succeeded in stirring up enthusiasm this
time. She's been preaching up free love, but she really started the
paper only because she thought it would help her to get the law changed
and allow her to marry her "dearest."

THERESE. Mademoiselle Legrand, I have some news that will please you.

CAROLINE LEGRAND. Are all the men dead?

THERESE. No, not yet; but I've heard that in a small country town
they're starting a Woman's Trade Union.

CAROLINE LEGRAND. It won't succeed. Women are too stupid.

THERESE. They've opened a special workshop there, and they're going to
have work that's always been done by men done by women.

CAROLINE LEGRAND. That's splendid! A woman worker the more is a slave
the less.

MADEMOISELLE DE MEURIOT [_gravely_] Are you quite sure of that?

CAROLINE LEGRAND. Oh, don't you misunderstand me! [_Forcibly_] Listen to
this. A time will come when people will be as ashamed of having made
women work as they are ashamed now of having kept slaves. But, until
then--

THERESE. The employer is rather disturbed about it.

CAROLINE LEGRAND. He's quite right. Very soon there'll be a fierce
reaction among the men about this cheap women's labor. There's going to
be a new sex struggle--the struggle for bread. Man will use all his
strength and all his cruelty to defend himself. There's a time coming
when gallantry and chivalry will go by the board, _I_ can tell you.

_Madame Nerisse comes in._

MADAME NERISSE. Oh, good-morning, Legrand. I'm glad you're here, I've
been wanting to ask your advice about a new idea I want to start in
_Woman Free_. A correspondence about getting up a league of society
women--

CAROLINE LEGRAND. What about the others?

MADAME NERISSE [_continuing, without attending to her_]--and smart
people, who will undertake not to wear ornaments in their hats made of
the wings or the plumage of birds.

CAROLINE LEGRAND. You're giving up _Woman Free_ for _Birds Free_, then?

MADAME NERISSE. What do you mean?

CAROLINE LEGRAND. You'd better make a league to do away with hats
altogether as a protest against the sweating of the women who stitch the
straw at famine prices and make the ribbon at next to nothing. I shall
be more concerned for the fate of th