The Master of Mrs Chilvers | Page 5

him. You see, we're claiming equality. [Smiles.]
ELIZABETH And are being granted it--in every direction where it
works to the convenience of man.
PHOEBE [Laughs.] Is she coming--the Villiers woman?
JANET Yes. I ran her down at last--at her dress-maker's. She made an

awful fuss about it, but I wouldn't leave till she'd promised. Tell me, it's
something quite important, isn't it?
PHOEBE I don't know anything, except that I had an urgent telegram
from mamma this morning to call a meeting of the entire Council here
at three o'clock. She's coming up from Manchester on purpose. [To
HAKE.] Mrs. Chilvers hasn't returned yet, has she?
HAKE Not yet, miss. Shall I telephone -
PHOEBE [Shakes her head.] No; it's all right. I have seen her. Let her
know we are here the moment she comes in.
HAKE Yes, miss. [He has finished the arrangements. The table has
been placed in the centre of the room, six chairs round it, one of them
being a large armchair. He has placed writing materials and a large
silver gravy spoon. He is going.]
PHOEBE Why aren't you sure your wife wasn't at the meeting last
night? Didn't she say anything?
HAKE Well, miss, unfortunately, just as she was starting, Mrs.
Comerford--that's the wife of the party that keeps the shop
downstairs--looked in with an order for the theatre.
PHOEBE Oh!
HAKE So I thought it best to ask no questions.
PHOEBE Thank you.
HAKE Thank you, miss. [He goes out.]
ELIZABETH Can nothing be done to rouse the working-class woman
out of her apathy?
PHOEBE Well, if you ask me, I think a good deal has been done.
ELIZABETH Oh, what's the use of our deceiving ourselves? The great

mass are utterly indifferent.
JANET [She is seated in an easy-chair near the fire.] I was talking to a
woman only yesterday--in Bethnal Green. She keeps a husband and
three children by taking in washing. "Lord, miss," she laughed, "what
would we do with the vote if we did have it? Only one thing more to
give to the men."
PHOEBE That's rather good.
ELIZABETH The curse of it is that it's true. Why should they put
themselves out merely that one man instead of another should dictate
their laws to them?
PHOEBE My dear girl, precisely the same argument was used against
the Second Reform Bill. What earthly difference could it make to the
working men whether Tory Squire or Liberal capitalist ruled over them?
That was in 1868. To-day, fifty-four Labour Members sit in Parliament.
At the next election they will hold the balance.
ELIZABETH Ah, if we could only hold out THAT sort of hope to
them!
[ANNYS enters. She is in outdoor costume. She kisses PHOEBE,
shakes hands with the other two. ANNYS's age is about twenty-five.
She is a beautiful, spiritual-looking creature, tall and graceful, with a
manner that is at the same time appealing and commanding. Her voice
is soft and caressing, but capable of expressing all the emotions. Her
likeness to her younger sister PHOEBE is of the slightest: the colouring
is the same, and the eyes that can flash, but there the similarity ends.
She is simply but well dressed. Her soft hair makes a quiet but
wonderfully effective frame to her face.]
ANNYS [She is taking off her outdoor things.] Hope I'm not late. I had
to look in at Caxton House. Why are we holding it here?
PHOEBE Mamma's instructions. Can't tell you anything more except
that I gather the matter's important, and is to be kept secret.

ANNYS Mamma isn't here, is she?
PHOEBE [Shakes her head.] Reaches St. Pancras at two-forty. [Looks
at her watch.] Train's late, I expect.
[HAKE has entered.]
ANNYS [She hands HAKE her hat and coat.] Have something ready in
case Lady Mogton hasn't lunched. Is your master in?
HAKE A messenger came for him soon after you left, ma'am. I was to
tell you he would most likely be dining at the House.
ANNYS Thank you.
[HAKE goes out.]
ANNYS [To ELIZABETH.] I so want you to meet Geoffrey. He'll alter
your opinion of men.
ELIZABETH My opinion of men has been altered once or twice--each
time for the worse.
ANNYS Why do you dislike men?
ELIZABETH [With a short laugh.] Why does the slave dislike the
slave-owner?
PHOEBE Oh, come off the perch. You spend five thousand a year
provided for you by a husband that you only see on Sundays. We'd all
be slaves at that price.
ELIZABETH The chains have always been stretched for the few. My
sympathies are with my class.
ANNYS But men like Geoffrey--men who are devoting their whole
time and energy to furthering our cause; what can you have to say
against them?

ELIZABETH Simply that they don't know what they're doing. The