The crowd recovered its spirits at the notion of the champion-shocker shocked.
'We've been dreadfully browbeaten about our tactics, but that gentleman with his bad advice makes our tactics sound as innocent and reasonable as they actually are. When you talk in that wild way about bombs—you—I may be a hooligan'—she held up the delicate pink-and-white face with excellent effect—'but you do shock me.'
It wore well this exquisitely humorous jest about shocking a Suffragette. The whole crowd was one grin.
'I'm specially shocked when I hear a man advocating such a thing! You men have other and more civilized ways of getting the Government to pay attention to abuses. Now listen to what I'm saying: for it's the justification of everything we are going to do in the future, unless we get what we're asking for! It's this. Our justification is that men, even poor men, have that powerful leverage of the vote. You men have no right to resort to violence; you have a better way. We have no way but agitation. A Liberal Government that refuses——'
'Three cheers for the Liberals! Hip, hip——'
'My friend, I see you are young,' says Ernestine.
'Lord, wot are you?' the young man hurled back.
'Before I got my political education, when I was young and innocent, like this gentleman, who still pins his faith to the Liberals, I, too, hoped great things from them. My friends, it's a frame of mind we outlive!'—and her friends shrieked with delight.
'Well, it's one way for a girl to amuse herself till she gets married,' said Borrodaile.