ANNYS. (_She resents herself meekly_. _Apologising generally_.) I _must_ learn to control myself. LADY MOGTON. (_Who has waited_.) —is McCaw versus Potts. Its bearing upon the movement for the extension of the franchise to women. My own view I venture to submit in the form of a resolution. (_She takes up a paper on which she has been writing_.) As follows: That the Council of the Woman’s Parliamentary Franchise League, having regard to the decision of the House of Lords in McCaw v. Potts— ST. HERBERT. (_Looking over_.) Two t’s. LADY MOGTON. —resolves to bring forward a woman candidate to contest the next bye-election. (_Suddenly to_ MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS, _who is chattering_.) Do you agree or disagree? MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS. My dear! How can you ask? Of course we all agree. (_To Elizabeth_.) You agree, don’t you? ELIZABETH. Of course, even if elected, she would not be allowed to take her seat. PHOEBE. How do you know? Nothing more full of surprises than English law. LADY MOGTON. At the present stage I regard that point as immaterial. What I am thinking of is the advertisement. A female candidate upon the platform will concentrate the whole attention of the country on our movement. ST. HERBERT. It might even be prudent—until you have got the vote—to keep it dark that you will soon be proceeding to the next inevitable step. ELIZABETH. You think even man could be so easily deceived! ST. HERBERT. Man has had so much practice in being deceived. It comes naturally to him. ELIZABETH. Poor devil! LADY MOGTON. The only question remaining to be discussed is the candidate. ANNYS. Is there not danger that between now and the next bye-election the Government may, having regard to this case, bring in a bill to stop women candidates from going to the poll? ST. HERBERT. I have thought of that. Fortunately, the case seems to have attracted very little attention. If a bye-election occurred soon there would hardly be time. LADY MOGTON. It must be the very next one that does occur—wherever it is. JANET. I am sure that in the East End we should have a chance. PHOEBE. Great Scott! Just think. If we were to win it! ST. HERBERT. If you could get a straight fight against a Liberal I believe you would. ANNYS. Why is the Government so unpopular? ST. HERBERT. Well, take the weather alone—twelve degrees of frost again last night. JANET. In St. George’s Road the sewer has burst. The water is in the rooms where the children are sleeping. (_She clenches her hands_.) MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS. (_She shakes her head_.) Something ought really to be done. LADY MOGTON. Has anybody any suggestion to make?—as regards the candidate. There’s no advantage in going outside. It will have to be one of ourselves. MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS. Won’t you, dear? LADY MOGTON. I shall be better employed organising. My own feeling is that it ought to be Annys. (_To_ ST. HERBERT.) What do you think?