--'I don't mind by what name they call me. Don't you remember: "That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."' --'And yet you must not monopolise the time; I must now have my turn of freedom of speech.' The lady thus claiming her turn of speech was a lively, vigorous, energetic young lady, capable of talking and writing in several languages, confident of herself and of her sex, as confident as though she were carrying on her shoulders the responsibility of half mankind, that is, the whole of womankind. She takes, of course, great interest in women's education and the promotion of women's rights in all matters. She began by saying, with her face turned towards me: --'In the letter you have just read--' --'I did not read it,' I interposed; 'it was that lady.' --'Well, then,' she said, 'in the letter you have brought in your pocket and have made one of the ladies read to us. In that letter mention is made of Japanese ladies--' --'Oh, no more of the ladies,' I interrupted; 'I have spoken so much of them, that if I repeat too often, I shall weary my readers of _A Summer Dream_.' --'What!' she said, 'I do not mind if you read or copy the _Midsummer Night's Dream_, or the _Winters Tale_, but I must have my turn of speech. In that letter, the writer speaks of the Japanese killing their mothers, wives, and sisters: by that the writer, no doubt, means the affliction which is put upon them by the death of so many men on the battlefields. But in my opinion, it is not only in Japan that women are killed, but in all countries, in England, in France, in America and everywhere else! Man everywhere despises women's education and deprives women of their lives.' --'Of course, you take great interest in women's education,' I interposed. --'Not only,' she continued, 'they despise women's education, but they employ every machination to hinder women from developing brain power, which is their only life.' --'You are too harsh,' I remarked. --'No, not at all,' she continued. 'People talk about American girls getting the upper hand of their elders, as though they were not capable of giving advice to their somewhat belated relatives. The younger we are, the older and wiser we deem ourselves: such are the real facts of the world, don't you think so, baron?' --'Well, not exactly,' I replied. --'I don't think you take much interest in women's education. You are intelligent, but you are, all the same, a man. You men have all one trait in common, and that is, a desire to exclude women from every sphere of action politically and socially.'