"Well, if I came across these fellows jeering at an Englishwoman, I'd know the reason why!" he resumed hotly. "You should have complained."
She shook her head, smiling. "One doesn't want to be a nuisance in war time. One can always protect oneself."
He smiled.
"That's what women always say, and—excuse me—they can't!"
She laughed.
"Oh, yes, we can—the modern woman."
"I don't see much difference between the modern woman and the old-fashioned woman," he said obstinately. "It isn't dress or working at munitions that makes the difference."
"No, but—what they signify."
"What?—a freer life, getting your own way, seeing more of the world?"
The tone was a trifle antagonistic.
"Knowing more of the world," she said, quietly. "We're not the ignorant babes our grandmothers were at our age. That's why we can protect ourselves."