Denzil Quarrier

n spreading the announcement. These addresses were not commonly of a kind to excite much interest, nor had the name of Mr. Denzil Quarrier any prestige in Polterham; it occasio

versedge, who had withdrawn his name. The reading-room was beset. This chanced to be the day on which the Polterham Liberal newspaper was published, and at the head of its "general" column appeared a long paragraph on the subject under discussion. "At the moment of going to press, we learn that unforeseen circumstances have necessitated a change in this evening's programme at the Literary Institute. The indefatig

hy these things have been done in a corner? If you ask my opinion, it looks uncommonly like a conspiracy. The Radical electo

ey. "All I can say is that if this Mr. Quarrier is going in fo

eme views'?" screeched a t

. (It may be noted that a card hung in several parts of the

terham-and had arrived at an understanding with them which made it all but a settled thing that Denzil Quarrier should be their prospective candidate. Tobias was eager to back out of the engagement into which he had unadvisedly entered. Denzil's arrival at this juncture seemed to hi

Eustace Glazzard. With the latter he had a bare acquaintance; from Denzil's report, he

on't think you will want for an audience to-morrow,

of the coming lecture. He w

ition of myself!" cried Denzil, wi

r bedroom, to-night?" asked

ation I know what I want to say, and I don't th

rply to his b

e mind on that matter we

ided

ay if I came forward as Radi

ixed his eyes on the opposite

hick, and ended in a slight cough. Feeling that all eyes were fixed

you?" said Quarrier

erpower

dge has no stomach for the fight, and makes room for

gaze turned upon him with steady concentration. Th

your abode here?

more emphasis than seemed necessary,

re the conversation could be rene

f extreme weariness; his eyes were heavy and without expression, the lines of face slack, sullen; he seemed to maintain with difficulty his upright position at the table, and his eating

ith him out i

y serious talk with you; it must wait till after to-morrow. You know, of course,

ut his sister presently saw him straying about the garden, and as soon as her household duties left her at leisure she was called upon to gossip a

have to run over to P

to do

You shall hear ab

preserved so much of youth. After all, it might be that he had found his vocation ere it was too late. Certainly he had the gift of speech, an

y were no strangers to Denzil, and a lively conversation at once sprang up. In a few minutes the door again opened to admit Mr. William Glazzard. The chairman of the evening came

, holding out his hand, and glancing

given you a hint

to phrase my int

eference to the

murmured

Quarrier. "He went home with

r. Glazzard, laconically. "

nt of the fire. Mr. Glazzard merely wished for a few hints to direct him when h

friend Toby," whispered one committee-man to another; and this was the general opinion. Yet there was some anxiety regarding the address they were about to hear. Denzil did not look like a man who would mince his words and go half-way in his opinions. The Woman questio

ng reply. "You will stand amazed at my mode

ll find Mrs. Wade down upon

ttack me in

lic discussion; but prepar

ll enj

s on all hands, and marched steadily to the front chairs, his two daughters following. The Mayor, accompanied by his wife, Miss Mumbray, and young Mr. Raglan Mumbray, was seen moving forward; he acknowledged salutations with a heavy bow and a wave of the hand. Decidedly it was a field-day. From the street below sounded a constant roll of carriages and clatter of hoofs coming to a standstill before the Institute. Never, perhaps, had so many people in evening costume gathered under this roof. Even Mr. Chown, the draper, tho

gentlemen ascended the platform. Members of the committee seated themselves in a row of arm-chairs;

d constricted; his eyes dazzled, so that he could see nothing; his limbs were mere automatic mechanism; he felt as though some one had set his ears on fire. He strove wildly to recollect his opening sentences; but they were gone

duce - - - Mr. Denzil Quarrier, - - - not unknown to many of y

ed, there flashed into his thoughts a story concerning an enlightened young lady of Stockholm, who gave a lecture to advance the theory that woman's intellect suffered from the habit of allowing her hair to grow so long. It was years since this trifle had recurred to his mind; it came he knew not how, and he clutched at it like the drowning man at a straw.

d that he had begun with a lucky stroke; the people were in expectation of more merriment, and sat beaming with good-humour. He saw the Mayor spr

her locks, yet he had known many Swedish ladies (and ladies of England, too) who, in spite of lovely hair, managed to preserve an exquisite sense of the distinctions of womanhood, and this (advanced opinion notwithstanding) he maintained was the principal thing. But, the fact that so many women were nowadays lifting up their voices in a demand for variou

did not become wife and mother; but this truism had been insisted on to the exclusion of another verity quite as important: that wifehood and motherhood, among civilized people, implied qualifications beyond the physical. The ordinary girl was sent forth into life with a mind scarcely more developed than that of a child. Hence those monstrous errors she constantly committed when called upon to accept a husband. Not one marriage in fifty thousand was an alli

shameful!" murmured Mrs. Mumbray. "Shocking!") "They must be treated, not like ornaments under glass-eases, but like human beings who, physiologists assure us, are born with mental apparatus, even as men are. I repeat that I don't want to see them trained for politics" (many faces turned towards the middle of the hall) "and that I lament the necessity imposed on so many of them of struggling with men in the labour-market. What I demand is an education in the true sense of the word, and that as muc

n who, by force of mere statistics, are fated to the frustration of their raison d'etre. On this subject he had nothing very remarkable to say, and, indeed, the maiden ladies

o, if they are disposed to altruism, that though most men manage to find a wife, very few indeed, as things are, do not ultimately wish that they had remained single." (A roar of laughter, and many protests.) "This being so, let women who have no family of their own d

s aware of some fluster in the body of the hall; people were whispering, tittering, turning round to look. Two persons had stood up with the intention of seconding the vote of gratitude; one was Mr. Chown, the other that lady who had a place in the middle of the assemb

address; I think his views were frequently timid"-laughter and hushing-"frequently timid, and occasionally quite too masculine. I heard once of a lady who proposed to give a series of lectures on 'Astronomy from a Female Point of View'" (a laugh from two or three people only), "and I should prefer to entitle Mr. Quarrier's lecture, 'Woman from a M

enzil murmured to himself, as the

oved to himself that he could speak, and henceforth the platform was his own. Now let the diss

him, offering hands, and bri

said Mr. Liversedge. "You made me shake in

ft. "I expected half an hour's diatribe, 'the rapt oration flo

d the Mayor and his wife, Miss Mumbray, and Ivy Glazzard. Serena was turning

Mumbray." He placed the wrap.

irl, with a glance towards Ivy,

ed, "are rather on Mrs

le-how c

d, desirous of presentation to the Mayor, gave Ivy a glance, and she, with much ner

you don't know my uncle

e," he turned to the Mayoress, "let me present t

was a portly and high-coloured woman, with hanging nether lip. Glazza

ayoress, "how patiently women in genera

es, in doubt as to his real meaning. Her husband

nce.-How do you do, Mr. Lovett?

ard meant, papa, put in Serena,

very amoosing lecture, all the same. Not of course to be

enigmatic look, murmured a leave-taking, and, with an affecti

not a disciple

ar no,

le bit?" he smil

Mr. Quarrier said about girls hav

me if there's any one yo

bled expression, as if the experie

tition and of priestcraft. Time enough to talk about giving women votes when they were no longer the slaves of an obstructive religion. There were good things in the lecture

of these utterances. In a minute or two they were joined by

ng headache," said Wil

moment he caught Glazzard's eye, and came hasten

it go?" Denzi

aptitude for tha

engage yourself to dine with

ling

member the Coach and Ho

heir memories of boyhood with hare-and-hounds

dinner there; six-thi

s. Denzil, turning came face t

e trouble to co

but good-natured voice. "Is it true what the

lieve

get you a licking. All

atural, But