The Man in Possession — page 168: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 163 our League,” she said; ‘‘we are becoming quite a power in ourselves.” : ‘‘Are you really?” said Kate, looking at her foe with unconcealed amusement. ‘‘Do you know, I always looked upon the League of the Primrose Dames as a sort of fad? Just one of those excuses for excitement which breaks the monotony of society ennut now and then. I never thought it could do any good. If your ‘Dames’ attend lectures, or deliver them, or play at people’s concerts, or send vans of children to Epping Forest, I really can’t see that the moral or material welfare of the populace is affected. To know their grievances you must know them, but you seem to think it is quite sufficient to let them know you—at a convenient distance.” Lady Westmoreland was both shocked and an- noyed at such outspoken and advanced opinions. She hated to be contradicted, or to have her views disputed, and to think that this girl, this wild Irish hoyden, should dare to hint that she—a great and leading star of the feminine political world—could be mistaken in her mode of action was quite insuffer- able ! Even Lady Jocelyn looked a little alarmed, and two or three of the fair tea-drinkers laid down their cups and listened in wide-eyed astonishment to the controversy. Kate enjoyed the sensation she had created. They had all been so insolent, so indifferent, so supercili- ous hitherto. It amused her now to see them turn and stare—and listen. They should learn one day that ‘‘that girl” was not the nonentity they had sup- COMicloe (Sri C(O)