re ready to apply torture, death, or social ostracism to the
support of these preposterous theories and explanations of God and
Man. Such theories"--went on Vivie, though her mother's attention
had wandered to some escaped poultry that were scratching
disastrously in seed beds--"Such theories and explanations, mark
you--_do_ listen, mother, since you asked the question..."

"I'm listenin', dearie, but you talk like a book and I don't know
what some of your words mean--What's ethics?"

"Well 'ethics' means er--er--'morality'; it comes from a Greek word
meaning 'character.'..."

_Mrs. Warren_: "You talk like a book--"

_Vivie_: "I do sometimes, when I remember something I've read. But
now I've lost my thread.... What I meant to finish up with was
something like this 'Such theories and explanations were formulated
several hundred, or more than two thousand years ago, in times when
Man's knowledge of himself, of his surroundings, of the earth and
the universe was almost non-existent, yet they are preserved to our
times as sacred revelations, though they are not superior to the
fancies and fetish rites of a savage.' There! All that answer is
quoted from Professor Rossiter's little book (_Home University
Library_, "The Growth of the Human Mind")."

_Mrs. Warren_: "Rossiter! Is that the man you're sweet on?"

_Vivie_: "Don't put it so coarsely. There is a great friendship
between us. We belong to a later generation than you. A man and a
woman can be friends now without becoming lovers."

_Mrs. Warren_: "Go _on_! Don't humbug me. Men and women's the same
as when I was young. I'm sorry, all the same, dear girl. There are
you, growin' middle-aged and not married to some good-'earted chap
as 'd give you three-four children I could pet in me old age.
Wodjer want to go fallin' in love with some chap as 'as got a wife
already? _I_ know your principles. There's iron in yer blood, same
as there is in that proud priest, your father. I know you'd break
your 'eart sooner 'n have a good time with the professor. My! It
seems to me Love's as bad as Religion for bringin' about sorrer!"

_Vivie_: "If you mean that it is answerable for the same intense
happiness and even more intense _un_happiness, I suppose you're
right. I'm _miserable_, mother, and it's some relief to me to say
so. If I could become honourably the wife of Michael Rossiter I'm
afraid I should let Suffrage have the go-by. But as I can't, why
this struggle for the vote