MRS. PICKERING. The facts are these: Mrs. Lawty tells us she heard
Betty, with her own ears, openly say that the man under consideration,
Doctor Hunter, was a revolutionist and----
MRS. LAWTY. I said conversationalist. Though he probably is both.
MRS. ROMNEY. I think she must have meant conventionalist.
MRS. PICKERING. Nevertheless, one is as bad as the other. They all go
hand in hand.
MRS. WARREN. But I believe Betty only said he was a good
conversationalist and----
MRS. LAWTY. Anyway, she said he talked a lot about it.
MRS. PICKERING. I fear it must be one of those dreadful, sinful new
religions one hears so much of nowadays.
MRS. WARREN. Oh!
MRS. LAWTY. Also, we understand from very reliable sources that Mrs.
Hunter is never seen with her husband in public.
MRS. PICKERING. And that he calls her dreadful names.
MRS. LAWTY. Most suspicious!
MRS. ROMNEY. Oh, I don't believe a word of it.
MRS. LAWTY. Believe it or not, Mrs. Romney ... my information is most
reliable.
MRS. WARREN. Is there any way, ladies, of overcoming this situation, I
mean----
MRS. ROMNEY. You might call on Mrs. Hunter to-morrow, Mrs. Warren.
MRS. LAWTY. Never!
MRS. LAWER. You might write her a very formal letter, very formal, my
dear, asking her to call.
MRS. PICKERING. Ask Mrs. Hunter to come here? I think she would never
set her foot in the house.