the master of mrs. chilvers-第3章
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his wives。 We've elected them； all three； honorary members。
LADY MOGTON Do you mind sitting down？
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS Here； dear？ ＇She takes the vacant chair。＇
So nice of you。 I read about your meeting。 What a clever idea！
LADY MOGTON ＇Cuts her short。＇ Yes。 We are here to consider a
very important matter。 By way of commencement Mr。 St。 Herbert has
just reminded us that in the eye of the law all women are
imbeciles。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS I know； dear。 Isn't it shocking？
ST。 HERBERT Deplorable； but of course not your fault。 I mention
it because of its importance to the present matter。 Under Clause A
of the Act for the Better Regulation； &c。； &c。； all persons
〃mentally deficient〃 are debarred from becoming members of
Parliament。 The classification has been held to include idiots；
infants； and women。
＇An interruption。 LADY MOGTON hammers。＇
Bearing this carefully in mind； we proceed。 ＇He refers to his
notes。＇ Two years ago a bye…election took place for the South…west
division of Belfast。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS My dear； may I？ It has just occurred to
me。 Why do we never go to Ireland？
LADY MOGTON For various sufficient reasons。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS So many of the Irish members have
expressed themselves quite sympathetically。
LADY MOGTON We wish them to continue to do so。 ＇Turns to ST。
HERBERT。＇ I'm sorry。
ST。 HERBERT A leader of the Orange Party was opposed by a
Nationalist； and the proceedings promised to be lively。 They
promised for a while to be still livelier； owing to the nomination
at the last moment of the local lunatic。
PHOEBE ＇To ANNYS。＇ This is where we come in。
ST。 HERBERT There is always a local lunatic； who； if harmless； is
generally a popular character。 James Washington McCaw appears to
have been a particularly cheerful specimen。 One of his
eccentricities was to always have a skipping…rope in his pocket；
wherever the traffic allowed it； he would go through the streets
skipping。 He said it kept him warm。 Another of his tricks was to
let off fireworks from the roof of his house whenever he heard of
the death of anybody of importance。 The Returning Officer refused
his nominationwhich； so far as his nominators were concerned； was
intended only as a jokeon the grounds of his being by common
report a person of unsound mind。 And there； so far as South…west
Belfast was concerned； the matter ended。
PHOEBE Pity。
ST。 HERBERT But not so far as the Returning Officer was concerned。
McCaw appears to have been a lunatic possessed of means； imbued
with all an Irishman's love of litigation。 He at once brought an
action against the Returning Officer； his contention being that his
mental state was a private matter； of which the Returning Officer
was not the person to judge。
PHOEBE He wasn't a lunatic all over。
ST。 HERBERT We none of us are。 The case went from court to court。
In every instance the decision was in favour of the Returning
Officer。 Until it reached the House of Lords。 The decision was
given yesterday afternoonin favour of the man McCaw。
ELIZABETH Then lunatics； at all events； are not debarred from
going to the poll。
ST。 HERBERT The 〃mentally deficient〃 are no longer debarred from
going to the poll。
ELIZABETH What grounds were given for the decision？
ST。 HERBERT ＇He refers again to his notes。＇ A Returning Officer
can only deal with objections arising out of the nomination paper。
He has no jurisdiction to go behind a nomination paper and
constitute himself a court of inquiry as to the fitness or
unfitness of a candidate。
PHOEBE Good old House of Lords！
＇LADY MOGTON hammers。＇
ELIZABETH But I thought it was part of the Returning Officer's
duty to inquire into objections； that a special time was appointed
to deal with them。
ST。 HERBERT He will still be required to take cognisance of any
informality in the nomination paper or papers。 Beyond that； this
decision relieves him of all further responsibility。
JANET But this gives us everything。
ST。 HERBERT It depends upon what you call everything。 It gives a
woman the right to go to the polla right which； as a matter of
fact； she has always possessed。
PHOEBE Then why did the Returning Officer for Camberwell in 1885 …
ST。 HERBERT Because he did not know the law。 And Miss Helen
Taylor had not the means possessed by our friend McCaw to teach it
to him。
ANNYS ＇Rises。 She goes to the centre of the room。＇
LADY MOGTON Where are you going？
ANNYS ＇She turns； there are tears in her eyes。 The question seems
to recall her to herself。＇ Nowhere。 I am so sorry。 I can't help
it。 It seems to me to mean so much。 It gives us the right to go
before the peopleto plead to them； not for ourselves； for them。
＇Again she seems to lose consciousness of those at the table； of
the room。＇ To the men we will say： 〃Will you not trust us？ Is it
harm we have ever done you？ Have we not suffered for you and with
you？ Were we not sent into the world to be your helpmeet？ Are not
the children ours as well as yours？ Shall we not work together to
shape the world where they must dwell？ Is it only the mother…voice
that shall not be heard in your councils？ Is it only the mother…
hand that shall not help to guide？〃 To the women we will say：
〃Tell themtell them it is from no love of ourselves that we come
from our sheltered homes into the street。 It is to give； not to
getto mingle with the sterner judgments of men the deeper truths
that God； through pain； has taught to womento mingle with man's
justice woman's pity； till there shall arise the perfect lawnot
made of man nor woman； but of both； each bringing what the other
lacks。〃 And they will listen to us。 Till now it has seemed to
them that we were clamouring only for selfish ends。 They have not
understood。 We shall speak to them of common purposes； use the
language of fellow…citizens。 They will see that we are worthy of
the place we claim。 They will welcome us as helpers in a common
cause。 They …
＇She turnsthe present comes back to her。＇
LADY MOGTON ＇After a pause。＇ The business ＇she dwells severely on
the word＇ before the meeting …
ANNYS ＇She resents herself meekly。 Apologising generally。＇ I
must learn to control myself。
LADY MOGTON ＇Who has waited。＇is McCaw versus Potts。 Its bearing
upon the movement for the extension of the franchise to women。 My
own view I venture to submit in the form of a resolution。 ＇She
takes up a paper on which she has been writing。＇ As follows： That
the Council of the Woman's Parliamentary Franchise League； having
regard to the decision of the House of Lords in McCaw v。 Potts …
ST。 HERBERT ＇Looking over。＇ Two t's。
LADY MOGTON resolves to bring forward a woman candidate to
contest the next bye…election。 ＇Suddenly to MRS。 MOUNTCALM…
VILLIERS； who is chattering。＇ Do you agree or disagree？
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS My dear！ How can you ask？ Of course we
all agree。 ＇To Elizabeth。＇ You agree； don't you？
ELIZABETH Of course； even if elected； she would not be allowed to
take her seat。
PHOEBE How do you know？ Nothing more full of surprises than
English law。
LADY MOGTON At the present stage I regard that point as
immaterial。 What I am thinking of is the advertisement。 A female
candidate upon the platform will concentrate the whole attention of
the country on our movement。
ST。 HERBERT It might even be prudentuntil you have got the vote…
…to keep it dark that you will soon be proceeding to the next
inevitable step。
ELIZABETH You think even man could be so easily deceived！
ST。 HERBERT Man has had so much practice in being deceived。 It
comes naturally to him。
ELIZABETH Poor devil！
LADY MOGTON The only question remaining to be discussed is the
candidate。
ANNYS Is there not danger that between now and the next bye…
election the Government may； having regard to this case； bring in a
bill to stop women candidates from going to the poll？
ST。 HERBERT I have thought of that。 Fortunately； the case seems
to have attracted very little attention。 If a bye…election
occurred soon there would hardly be time。
LADY M
