'You can explain to her afterwards that it was you I was laughing at.' As that failed of specific effect, 'You really are a little ridiculous,' he said again, with the edge in his voice, 'hanging on the lips of that Backfisch as if she were Demosthenes.' 'We don't think she's a Demosthenes. We know she is something much more significant--for _us_.' 'What?' 'She's Ernestine Blunt.' Clean out of patience, he turned his back. 'Am I alone?' she whispered over his shoulder, as if in apology. 'Look at all the other women. Some of them are very intelligent. Our interest in our fellow-woman seems queer and unnatural to you because you don't realize Mrs. Brown has always been interested in Mrs. Jones.' 'Oh, has she?' 'Yes. She hasn't said much to Mr. Brown about it,' Vida admitted, smiling, because a man's interest in woman is so limited.' Borrodaile laughed. 'I didn't know that was his failing!' 'I mean his interest is of one sort. It's confined to the woman he finds interesting in _that_ way at _that_ minute. Other women bore him. But other women have always been mightily interesting to us! Now, sh! let's listen.' 'I can understand those callow youths,' unwarily he persisted; 'she's pink and pert and all the rest, but _you_----' 'Oh, will you _never_ understand? Don't you know women are more civilized than men?' 'Woman! she'll be the last animal domesticated.' It seemed as if he preferred to have her angry rather than oblivious of him. But not for nothing did she belong to a world which dares to say whatever it wants to say. 'We are civilized enough, at all events'--there was an ominous sparkle in her eye--'to listen to men speakers clever or dull--we listen quietly enough. But men!--a person must be of your own sex for you to be able to regard him without distraction. If the woman is beautiful enough, you are intoxicated. If she's plain enough, you are impatient. All you see in any woman is her sex. You can't _listen_.' 'Whew!' remarked Borrodaile. 'But _I_ must listen--I haven't got over being ashamed to find how much this girl can teach me.'