Mrs. Mumbray.  “Shocking!”) “They must be treated, not like ornaments under glass-eases, but like human beings who, physiologists assure us, are born with mental apparatus, even as men are.  I repeat that I don’t want to see them trained for politics” (many faces turned towards the middle of the hall) “and that I lament the necessity imposed on so many of them of struggling with men in the labour-market.  What I demand is an education in the true sense of the word, and that as much at the hands of their mothers as of the school-teacher.  When that custom has been established, be sure that it will affect enormously the habits and views of the male population.  The mass of men at present regard women as creatures hoodwinked for them by nature—­or at all events by society.  When they can no longer act on that assumption, interest and, let us hope, an expanding sense of honour will lead them to see the marriage contract, and all connected with it, in altogether a different light.”

He drank off a glass of water, listening the while to resonant applause.  There was still twenty minutes, and he decided to use the time in offering solace to the army of women who, by force of mere statistics, are fated to the frustration of their raison d’etre.  On this subject he had nothing very remarkable to say, and, indeed, the maiden ladies who heard him must have felt that it all amounted to a pitying shrug of the shoulders.  But he could not speak otherwise than vigorously, and at times his words were eloquent.

“We know not how things may improve in the future,” (thus he perorated), “but let celibate ladies of the present bear in mind that the chances are enormously against their making a marriage worthy of the name.” ("Oh!” from some man at the back.) “Let them remember, too, if they are disposed to altruism, that though most men manage to find a wife, very few indeed, as things are, do not ultimately wish that they had remained single.” (A roar of laughter, and many protests.) “This being so, let women who have no family of their own devote themselves, whenever possible, to the generous and high task of training the new female generation, so that they may help to mitigate one of the greatest ills of civilized existence, and prepare for women of the future the possibility of a life truly emancipated.”

Denzil sat down with a glow of exulting triumph.  His lecture was a success, not a doubt of it.  He saw the chairman rise, and heard slow, languid phrases which contrasted strangely with his own fire and rush.  A vote of thanks was being proposed.  When silence carne, he was aware of some fluster in the body of the hall; people were whispering, tittering, turning round to look.  Two persons had stood up with the intention of seconding the vote of gratitude; one was Mr. Chown, the other that lady who had a place in the middle of the assemblage, and who seemed to be so well known.  The Radical draper did not immediately give way, but his neighbours reminded him of propriety.  Quarrier had just scrutinized the person of the lady about to speak. when her voice fell upon his ears with a pleasant distinctness.