“I tell you, Steve, it sets one thinking to get at the woman's side of the matter,” said Randolph. “I've been idiot enough to suppose they thought just as we do on most subjects.”
Loveland smiled and poked the fire gently from above.
“You know we've always been taught that women were naturally dependent, and I supposed it was second nature for them to receive money from their husbands, and so they got enough they cared no more about it. Do you think many of them feel like that woman in the car?”
Loveland poked the fire from beneath and then sighed helplessly.
“Can't say, I'm sure,” he replied in his gentle, hesitant way. “They don't seem to go according to tradition in anything, so far as I've noticed. They're a peculiar race.”
“Oh, I don't know about that,” said Randolph in a practical tone. “It's pretty easy to understand, once your attention's called to it. I'd never given the subject any thought, but if one chooses to observe he can very soon find out what's what. Some men are idiots and won't learn, so they get in a mess.
“It's natural for you to be mystified, Steve,” continued Randolph after a short pause, “but you see I have a sister and I know all about women. You can judge of the rest by any one of them. They're pretty much alike.”
Loveland gave the top of the fire a few little jabs.
“Yes, I know,” said Randolph. “You have mother and sister both, but you haven't lived with them for years. If you don't actually live in the same house with women you can't know them. Of course even then you may be in the dark on a point or two, as I was on the money question, but you can soon learn. All a woman wants is fair treatment. If a man drinks and makes a beast of himself or sulks around in place of telling her what he don't like and letting her change it, of course she isn't going to be happy. It's easy as rolling off a log to manage a woman.”
Loveland rose and thrust the poker down through the top crust of the fire and left it standing there.