t was
going backward. Even the miserable little pettifogging share women had
had in Urban and Borough Councils--even that they were deprived of. And
they were tamely submitting! Women who had been splendid workers ten
years ago, women with the best capacities for public service, had fallen
into a kind of apathy. They were utterly disheartened. Many had given up
the struggle. That was the state of affairs with regard to Woman's
Suffrage only a few short months ago. We looked at the Suffragists who
had grown grey in petitioning Parliament and being constitutional and
"ladylike," and we said, "_That's no good._"'

Through roars of laughter and indistinguishable denunciation certain
fragments rose clear--

'So you tried being a public nuisance!'

'A laughing-stock!'

'When we got to the place where we were a public laughing-stock we knew
we were getting on.' The audience screamed. '_We began to feel
encouraged!_' A very hurricane swept the crowd. Perhaps it was chiefly
at the gleam of eye and funny little wag of the head with the big
floppity hat that made the people roar with delight. 'Yes; when things
got to that point even the worst old fogey in the Cabinet----'

'Name! Name!'

'No, we are merciful. We withhold the name!' She smiled significantly,
while the crowd yelled. 'Even the very fogeyest of them all you'd think
might have rubbed his eyes and said, "Everybody's laughing at them--why,
there must be something serious at the bottom of this!" But no; the
members of the present Government _never_ rub their eyes.'

'If you mean the Prime Minister----'

'Hooray for the----'

Through the cheering you heard Ernestine saying, 'No, I _didn't_ mean
the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, between you and me, is as good a
Suffragist as any of us. Only he----well, he likes his comfort, does the
Prime Minister!'

When Ernestine looked like that the crowd roared with laughter. Yet it
was impossible not to feel that when she herself smiled it was because
she couldn't help it, and not, singularly enough, because of any
dependence she placed upon the value of dimples as an asset of
persuasion. What she seemed to be after was to stir these people up. It
could not be denied that she knew how to do it, any more than it could
be doubted that she was ignorant of how large a part in her success was
played by a peculiarly amusing and provocative personality. Always she
was the first to be grave again.

'Now if you noisy young