“Of course Ivor will go without any egging on,” she said. “I should die of shame if I had even to open the door for him. And as for ruined women—Evan is not like that nor are my people, any of them. I don’t see why Ivor should grow up a pig any more than they did. But”—she remembered again what had amused her—“I do wish you would come and say all that to Evan. I do want to prove to him that I was right, and of course I can’t tell him what you said. He wouldn’t believe it and would think I was being like a woman.”
This last slip of the tongue was unfortunate and might have led to such divergence of opinion as would have deprived Evangeline of those further talks with Mrs. Vachell that had so much influence on her future. But they heard the front door bell ring and Mrs. Vachell said, “That is probably Mr. Fisk. He said he might come this afternoon. I wish you would stay a little; he might really interest you.”
“Who is he?” Evangeline asked.
“One of the stupidest of the students, but a reformer——” Mr. Fisk was announced. He began of course about the weather and asked Evangeline whether she had “been long in these parts,” and so on; he omitted none of the steps to acquaintance by which his kindred are accustomed to reach the more companionable stage of invitations to “tea and s’rimps.” Mrs. Vachell soon became impatient and cut him short. “Don’t let us be social any more, Mr. Fisk,” she suggested, “but tell us how your campaign is getting on.”
He plunged at once into oratorical phrases and Evangeline listened, bewildered. Mrs. Vachell led him on by subtle questions to the law of marriage.
“Are you in favour of the coming of women?” he asked Evangeline.
“Where to?” she asked. She was deeply interested.
“What people call feminism,” Mrs. Vachell explained. “Don’t you want to take your share in the world?”
“What sort of share?” said Evangeline. “I thought I had got one; but I am too stupid to do things, if you mean having a profession.”
“Have you ever tried, may I ask?” Mr. Fisk inquired. “Perhaps you hardly know your powers.”