Miss Hodger's was a tall figure, bony but commanding; she had a flat
chest, a tangled mane of sorrel hair and a face somewhat like a horse's.
Of her argument, little need be said; you may find it in detail in the
very books where Miss Hodger found it. It was, in sum, an unanswerable
demonstration of woman's sacred duty of Developing her Ego. The exposé
of the Home proved particularly searching; it brought loud cheers. Much
Miss Hodger said, too, of the Higher Law and the Richness of
Personality, of Contributions to the Race and Enhancement of the Life
Stream. In Charles Garrott's ears one sentence seemed to ring and stick
above the rest: "Fiercely and relentlessly shall Modern Woman hack away
all that impedes her in her Self-Development--all, I care not what it
is!"
She ended with a kind of yell, thumped the album twice, and strode away
from the baby-grand. There were bursts of clapping, a chorus of
approval, and then general buzzing and commotion. The Programme was
over. Everybody was standing: all talking, nobody left to listen.
Servants entered bearing trays of light refreshments; light, indeed,
they looked. It was the Redmantle's social hour, the hour of good, free,
courageous talk.
Charles Garrott moved into the noisy room. All his sides, of course,
were not known to his fellow members, and yet he had a standing here. He
was recognized as one of the pioneer Rightsers; his last year's speech
before the Club, on "Work for Women," had been generally adjudged a
first-rate piece of Modern Thinking. And all the Redmantlers seemed to
like to talk to him, too; they would get round him and back him up into
corners in a way he scarcely liked. Mrs. Frederick B. Seaman looked as
if she meant to kiss him. "And now," she said, beaming, "for a good long
talk about my new book." He cleverly evaded her, but in so doing fell
right into the net of the hearthside anarchist, Professor Pollock, who
drew him in with a hand as large and soft as a beefsteak. Pollock was a
thin, bald young man, with the conventional flowing necktie, and the New
disappearing chin, and secretly Garrott had always thought him a most
terrific jackass.
"How are we going to relieve this White Slave situation, Garrott? How?
How?"
"It is one of the grave problems of the day," said Charles. "At the
moment I can only answer, as President Taft answered the workman at
Cooper--"
"What, you admit that you have no remedy to lay down? None whatever?"
"At the moment, none. It is one of the grave--"
The younger and even freer Miss Hodger, who had been hovering near,
exploded a mouthful of cigarette smoke, and exclaimed excitedly:--
"Oh sister, only think! Mr. Garrott has no remedy for the White Slave
situation!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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