influence in Parliament increases.  His speech to-night was—­as I hear from a man who has just come from the debate—­the most brilliant he has yet made.  It is extremely likely that when our party comes in again he will have office, and in ten or fifteen years’ time what is there to prevent his being even Prime Minister?—­with all the mighty influence over millions of human beings which that means?

“But to give him every chance in his career money is, unfortunately, indispensable.  Every English Prime Minister has been a rich man.  It may be a blot on our English life.  I think it is.  But, then, I have been all my life on the side of the poor.  You, who are a Tory and an Imperialist, who sympathize with militarism and with war, will agree that it is important our politicians should be among the ‘Haves,’ that a man’s possessions do matter to his party and his cause.

     “They matter especially—­at the present moment—­to our
     party and our cause.  We are the poor party, and our rich
     men are few and far between.

“You may say that you would help him, and that your own money would be at his disposal.  But could a man live upon his wife, in such circumstances, with any self-respect?  Of course, I know that you are very young, and I trust that your views on many subjects, social and political, will change, and change materially, before long.  It is a serious thing for women nowadays to throw themselves across the path of progress.  At the same time I see that you have a strong—­if I may say so—­a vehement character.  It may not be easy for you to cast off at once what, I understand, has been your father’s influence.  And meanwhile Oliver would be fighting all your father’s and your ideas—­largely on your money; for he has only a thousand a year of his own.

“Please let me assure you that I am not influenced by my mother’s views.  She attaches importance—­an exaggerated—­if she were not my mother, I should say an absurd—­importance, to the family.  Whereas, ideas—­the great possibilities of the future—­when free men and women shall lead a free and noble life—­these are what influence me—­these are what I live for.

“It will cause you both pain to separate.  I know that.  But summon a rational will to your aid, and you will soon see that passion is a poor thing compared to impersonal and unselfish aims.  The cause of women—­their political and social enfranchisement—­the freeing of men from the curse of militarism—­of both men and women from the patriotic lies which make us bullies and cowards—­it is to these I would invite you—­when you have overcome a mere personal grief.

     “I fear I shall seem to you a voice crying in the wilderness;
     but I write in Oliver’s interest—­and your own.

     “Yours sincerely,

     “ISABEL FOTHERINGHAM.

     “P.S.  Our secretary, Mrs. Derrick Smith, at the Mary
     Wollstonecraft Club, will always be glad to send you any
     literature you might require.”