Stonor laughed. 'Oh, no! Our servants are all too superior.' He moved forward and touched a policeman on the shoulder. What was said was not audible--the policeman at first shook his head, then suddenly he turned round, looked sharply into the gentleman's face, and his whole manner changed. Obliging, genial, almost obsequious. 'Oh, he's recognized Geoffrey!' Jean said to her aunt. 'They _have_ to do what a member tells them! They'll stop the traffic any time to let Geoffrey go by!' she exulted. Stonor beckoned to his ladies. The policeman was forging a way in which they followed. 'This will do,' Stonor said at last, and he whispered again to the policeman. The man replied, grinning. 'Oh, really,' Stonor smiled, too. 'This is the redoubtable Miss Ernestine Blunt,' he explained over his shoulder, and he drew back so that Jean could pass, and standing so, directly in front of him, she could be protected right and left, if need were, by a barrier made of his arms. 'Now can you see?' he asked. She looked round and nodded. Her face was without cloud again. She leaned lightly against his arm. Miss Ernestine had meanwhile been catapulting into election issues with all the fervour of a hot-gospeller. 'What outrageous things she says about important people--people she ought to respect and be rather afraid of,' objected Jean, rather scandalized. 'Impudent little baggage!' said Stonor. Reasons, a plenty, the baggage had why the Party which had so recently refused to enfranchise women should not be returned to power. 'You're in too big a hurry,' some one shouted. 'All the Liberals want is a little time.' 'Time! You seem not to know that the first petition in favour of giving us the Franchise was signed in 1866.' 'How do _you_ know?' She paused a moment, taken off her guard by the suddenness of the attack. '_You_ wasn't there!' 'That was the trouble. Haw! Haw!' 'That petition,' she said, 'was presented forty years ago.' 'Give 'er a 'reain' now she _'as_ got out of 'er crydle.'