“You don’t know your kind,” he went on, “because you don’t indulge in cringing and don’t encourage it. You’re like the cold, pure-minded woman who goes through the world imagining it a chaste and austere place because her very face silences and awes sensuality. You are part of the small advance guard of a race that is to come.” He grinned satirically. “Perhaps you’ll drop out in the next few months. We’ll see.” When the silence was again broken, it was broken by me. “Do you know a school kept by a woman named Ryper?” I inquired. “Sure I do,” replied he. He gave me a shrewd laughing glance. “The daughter isn’t learning anything?” “Nothing but mischief,” said I. “That’s what Ryper’s for. But what does it matter? Why should a woman learn anything? They’re of no consequence. The less a man has to do with them the better off he will be.” “They’re of the highest consequence,” said I bitterly. “They have the control of the coming generation.” “And a hell of a generation it’s to be,” cried he, suddenly rousing from the state of bored apathy in which he seemed to pass most of his time. “You’ve got me started on the subject that’s a craze with me. I have only one strong feeling--and that is my contempt for woman--the American woman. I’m not speaking about the masses. They don’t count. They never did. They never will. No one counts until he gets some education and some property. I suppose the women of the masses do as well as could be expected. But how about the women of the classes with education and property? Do you know why the world advances so slowly?--why the upper classes are always tumbling back and everything has to be begun all over again?” “I’ve a suspicion,” said I. “Because the men are fools about the women.” “The sex question!” cried Armitage. “That’s the only question worth agitating about. Until it’s settled--or begins to be settled--and settled right, it’s useless to attempt anything else. The men climb up. The women they take on their backs become a heavier and heavier burden--and down they both drop--and the children with them. Selfish, vain, extravagant mothers, crazy about snobbishness, bringing up their children in extravagance, ignorance and snobbishness--that’s America to-day!” “The men are fools about the women, and they let the women make fools of themselves.” “The men are fools--but not about the women,” said Armitage. “How much time and thought for your family have you averaged daily in the last ten years?” “I’ve been busy,” said I. “I’ve had to look out for the bread and butter, you know.” “Exactly!” exclaimed he, in triumph. “You think you’re fond of your family. No doubt you are. But the bottom truth is you’re indifferent to your family. I can prove it in a sentence: You attend to anything you care about; and you haven’t attended to them.” I stared at him like a man dazzled by a sudden light--which, in fact, I was. “Guilty or not guilty?” said he, laughing. “Guilty,” said I.