MME. MAIRAUT [_drily_] Oh no! Far from it! [_She rises and goes over to Madame Pouchelet_]. MME. POUCHELET [_coming down stage with Antonin_] I don’t care much about pictures unless they tell a story. What is that one about? JULIE. It is an engraving of a picture by Gerard Dow. MME. POUCHELET. Never heard of him. JULIE. He was a Dutch painter. Seventeenth century. MME. POUCHELET. Really. But of course you know more about these things than I do. A propos, M. Dupont, did you go to the lecture the other day on women’s rights? POUCHELET [_laughing_] Oh, yes, ha! ha! MME. POUCHELET [_to Julie_] I shouldn’t be surprised if you, madame, had some sympathy with such opinions? JULIE [_evasively_] I don’t know. ANTONIN [_laughing_] Come, confess, my dear. Just a little, perhaps? MME. MAIRAUT. Woman the equal of man! JULIE [_mildly_] Why not? MAIRAUT. There are some women who wouldn’t gain much by that. MME. DUPONT. But not all. DUPONT. Women lawyers! MME. POUCHELET. Women doctors! POUCHELET. Women with votes! ANTONIN [_laughing_] What a joke. DUPONT [_laughing_] Women with votes! POUCHELET. I call that rich. [_All three are convulsed with merriment_]. DUPONT. Think of it. Women in the Chamber of Deputies! ANTONIN. Women Senators! POUCHELET. Women in the Ministry! DUPONT. In the Chamber they would want to keep their hats on. POUCHELET. Yes [_to Julie_]. Eh, Madame Mairaut? They’d insist on keeping on their hats as they do at the theatres. MME. POUCHELET. And at election times they’d go from house to house asking for votes. The modern women would enjoy that. POUCHELET. And this parliament elected by women, what would it be like? [_More laughter_]. A Chamber of Deputies chosen by women! JULIE [_a little annoyed_] Really, gentlemen, judging by the results you’ve achieved so far by keeping the government to yourselves I don’t think you need fear that women will do much worse. [_The laughter dies down uneasily_]. POUCHELET [_with pompous solemnity_] I know it is the fashion nowadays to decry all our elective assemblies. But, as I am myself, in my humble way, one of the people’s representatives, I cannot allow such views to pass without protest. [_An awful silence_]. JULIE [_apologizing_] I had no intention of saying anything that could wound you, M. Pouchelet. MME. POUCHELET. We are sure of that, dear madame. POUCHELET [_to his wife_] And now, my dear, it is time for us to be going. ANTONIN. You must forgive my wife’s little slip, dear monsieur. POUCHELET. It is nothing—nothing at all. ANTONIN. You mustn’t go like this. Another glass of beer? MME. POUCHELET. You are very good. It has been so close to-day. ANTONIN. Julie, a glass of beer for Madame Pouchelet. [_To her_] Yes; the heat this afternoon has been quite oppressive. [_To Julie_] Where’s that beer? JULIE [_who has tried the various bottles, confused_] I will send for some more. These are empty. ANTONIN. Really!