owls of scented flowers. On the mantel-shelf
was the crystal that amused her lighter moments and above it hung a
circular allegory by Florence Swinstead, very rich in colour, the
Awakening of Woman, in a heavy gold frame. Miss Alimony conducted her
guest to an armchair, knelt flexibly on the hearthrug before her, took
up a small and elegant poker with a brass handle and a spear-shaped
service end of iron and poked the fire.

The service end came out from the handle and fell into the grate. "It
always does that," said Miss Alimony charmingly. "But never mind." She
warmed both hands at the blaze. "Tell me all about it," she said,
softly.

Lady Harman felt she would rather have been told all about it. But
perhaps that would follow.

"You see," she said, "I find----My married life----"

She halted. It _was_ very difficult to tell.

"Everyone," said Agatha, giving a fine firelit profile, and remaining
gravely thoughtful through a little pause.

"Do you mind," she asked abruptly, "if I smoke?"

When she had completed her effect with a delicately flavoured cigarette,
she encouraged Lady Harman to proceed.

This Lady Harman did in a manner do. She said her husband left her no
freedom of mind or movement, gave her no possession of herself, wanted
to control her reading and thinking. "He insists----" she said.

"Yes," said Miss Agatha sternly blowing aside her cigarette smoke. "They
all insist."

"He insists," said Lady Harman, "on seeing all my letters, choosing all
my friends. I have no control over my house or my servants, no money
except what he gives me."

"In fact you are property."

"I'm simply property."

"A harem of one. And all _that_ is within the provisions of the law!"

"How any woman can marry!" said Miss Agatha, after a little interval. "I
sometimes think that is where the true strike of the sex ought to begin.
If none of us married! If we said all of us, 'No,--definitely--we refuse
this bargain! It is a man-made contract. We have had no voice in it. We
decline.' Perhaps it will come to that. And I knew that you, you with
that quiet beautiful penetration in your eyes would come to see it like
that. The first task, after the vote is won, will be the revision of
that contract. The very first task of our Women Statesmen...."

She ceased and revived her smouldering cigarette and mused blinking
through the smoke. She seemed for a time almost lost to the presence of
her guest in a great daydream of wom