you
are absolute. Whatever you do, whatever you decide, is right. I would
not dream of questioning. Will you not give me the same confidence in my
special department?"

There was a short pause; then Genevieve held out her hand.

"Yes, George," she said, "I will, but on one condition----"

"_I_ did not make conditions, Genevieve."

"You do not have to, my dear. You know that I am really your
representative in the house; that I am really always thinking of your
wishes. You must do the same as my political representative. I mean, if
I am not to do this work myself, you must do it for me."

"Even if I consider it unwise?"

"Unwise to protect women and children?"

"Genevieve," he said seriously, as one who confides something not always
confided to women, "enforcing law sometimes does harm."

"But an investigation----"

"That's where you are ignorant, my dear. If an investigation is made,
especially if the women mix themselves up in it, then we shall have no
choice but enforcement."

She had sunk down on her sofa, but now she sprang up. "And you don't
mean to enforce the law in respect of women? Is that why you don't want
the investigation?"

"Not at all. You are most unjust. You are most illogical, Genevieve. All
I am asking is that the whole question should not be taken up at this
moment--just before election."

"But this is the only moment when we can find out whether or not you are
a candidate who will do what we want."

"_We_, Genevieve! Who do you mean by 'we'?"

She stared for a second at him, her eyes growing large and dark with
astonishment.

"Oh, George," she gasped finally, "I think I meant women when I said
'we.' George, I'm afraid I'm a _suffragist_. And oh," she added, with a
sort of wail, "I don't want to be, I don't want to be!"

"Damn Betty Sheridan," exclaimed George. "This is all her doing."

His wife shook her head. "No," she said, "it wasn't Betty who made me
see."

"Who was it?"

"It was you, George."

"I don't understand you."

"You made me see why women want to vote for themselves. How can you
represent me, when we disagree fundamentally?"

"How can we disagree fundamentally when we love each other?"

"You mean that because we love each other, I must think as you do?"

"What else could I mean, darling?"

"You might have meant that you would think as I do."

George glanced at her in deep offense.

"We have indeed drifted far apart," he said.

At this moment there w