to appeal to your mercy if I’m defeated. Would you mind telling me at what you were laughing when we crossed Second Avenue?”
An exquisite smile illumined her face and a twinkle of mischief played about the corners of her mouth.
“Shall I be perfectly frank?” she asked.
“Please – ”
“I laughed at the silly contradiction of allowing you to touch my arm in token of your superior strength as you drew about me the sheltering protection of chivalry. There were no plunging horses near – not even a pushcart in sight. The nearest street-car was five blocks away. Why did you think that I needed help in walking ten yards?”
He held her gaze steadily. She was charming – there was no doubt about it. He had to bite his lips to keep back a foolish compliment that might anger her. How should he bear himself toward such a woman? Her whole being breathed tenderness and femininity, yet there was a dangerous challenge of intellect about her that upset him.
“Why did you think I needed help?” she softly repeated.
“To tell you the truth,” he answered gravely, “I didn’t think at all. The act was instinctive – the inheritance of centuries – ”
“Exactly! Centuries of man’s patronage, of man’s tyranny, of his boasted superiority. As long as woman submits to be treated as a doll, a weakling, an incompetent, the supposed superior being must try to do the proper thing in an emergency – ”
“You resented it?” he broke in.
“No. I, too, am suffering from the inheritance of centuries – of dependence and of the hypocrisy inbred by generations of chivalry. It was at my own sneaking joy in your protection that I laughed – ”
Vassar moved uneasily, drew his straight brows low and looked at her through their veil for an instant. He was making a desperate effort to keep his brain clear. It would be ridiculous to surrender to such a charming little siren at the first encounter.
“Well, sir,” she cried briskly, “now that we’ve shaken hands the first round is on. Shall I lead?”
Vassar bowed.
“By all means – ladies first!”
“Why do you refuse to give me the ballot?”
“I never knew until tonight that women like you wished it. If I had – ”
“You would have agreed?”
“My dear Miss Holland, I not only would have agreed but I would have gone out after it and brought it to you. And all against my better judgment. If women are allowed to vote, there must be a law against your kind entering politics – ”
“Yes?”
“Decidedly.”
“And may I ask why?” she demanded.
He smiled and hesitated.
“If you ever get into Congress – I can see the finish of that aggregation as a deliberative body. You would be a majority from the moment you entered the Chamber – ”
“Please, Mr. Vassar – “ she protested. “We have no time for chaff – ”
He rose abruptly from the depths of the armchair, seized a light one, moved it nearer to the corner of the table, sat down and bent close to his charming opponent.
“I’m not chaffing,” he began eagerly. “I’m in earnest. Your personality has upset all my preconceived ideas of the leaders of this woman’s movement. I am more than ever alarmed at its sinister significance. You take my judgment by storm because you’re charming. You stop the process of reasoning by merely lifting your eyes to mine. Such a power cannot be used to further the ends of justice or perfect the organization of society. The power you wield defies all law – ”
Virginia laughed in spite of an effort at self-control.
“Are you making love to me, Mr. Vassar?” she cried.
He blushed and stammered.
“Well – not – deliberately – ”
“Unconsciously?”
He mopped the perspiration from his brow in confusion.
“Perhaps.”
Virginia rose, and her lips closed firmly.
“I think our interview had better end. We are wasting each other’s time – ”
“Please, Miss Holland,” he begged with deep humility, “forgive me. I was never more sincere in my life. I should have been more careful. But there’s something about your frank manner that disarmed me. You seemed so charmingly friendly. I forget that we are enemies – forgive me – ”
“There’s nothing to forgive. You are the type of man who cannot understand my position – and for that reason cannot meet me as an intellectual equal. I resent it – ”
“But I’m not the type of man who cannot understand. I will meet you as an intellectual equal. I’ll do more. I concede your superiority. You have baffled and defeated me at every turn tonight – I go puzzled and humiliated. I refuse to accept such a defeat. You cannot dismiss me in this absurd fashion. I’ll camp on your doorstep until we have this thing out.”
“You’ll not call without an appointment, I hope?”
“Oh, yes, I will. I’m going to cultivate your father. I’ll accept his invitation. I’ll make your house my happy home until we at least come to an intelligent understanding of our differences – ”
“Tomorrow then?” she said. “I’m tired tonight. Tomorrow at eleven o’clock – ”
Vassar smiled at the business-like hour.
“I’ve an important engagement at eleven that will keep me an hour. It’s Flag Day at my schools – the kiddies expect me – ”
“Flag Day?”
“A little device of mine to teach our boys and girls to love their country – won’t you join us tomorrow at the old Tenth Armory and inspect my forces?”
Virginia hesitated.
“All right, I will. I’ll ask Mr. Waldron to pick me up there at noon.”
“I’ll expect you at eleven.”
He pressed her hand with a new sense of uneasiness, defeat and anger which Waldron’s name had aroused.
CHAPTER VIII
JOHN VASSAR’S sleep had been fitful and unsatisfying. Through hours of half-conscious brooding and dreaming he had seen the face of Virginia Holland. He had thus far found no time for social frivolities. The air of America was just the tonic needed to transform the tragic inheritance of the Old World into a passion for work that had practically ruled women out of the scheme of things.
He had dreamed of a home of his own in the dim future – yes – when the work of his career, the work he had planned for
