"Your sister, then. Don't you two--?"
"No. She was educated abroad. She married the year she came out. She
lives in Scotland. Nominally we are brother and sister; actually the
merest acquaintances. She's a nice girl--generous, affectionate. But
we don't touch."
"Delphine?"
"That child!" His shoulders moved with a gesture of dismissal, as if
the suggestion was too absurd for discussion. Poor Delphine, how her
vanity would have suffered if she had been there at the moment! I
suppose my face was expressive, for he added in quick explanation:
"She's a nice child. I'm fond of her, but she is still waiting to grow
up. It's perfectly true, Miss Wastneys, I know no women. They have
been a sealed book to me."
I was sorry for the big lonely thing. It must be hard to be born with a
temperament which keeps one closed, as it were, within iron doors, while
all the time the poor hungry soul longs to get out. I felt glad that I
was made the other way round. At the same time it seemed a good
opportunity to put in a word for my own sex. I straightened my back,
and tried to look solemn and elderly. I spoke in deep, impressive
tones:--
"Mr Maplestone, I'm sorry, but you are illogical. You acknowledge that
this is a subject about which you know nothing, yet almost in the same
breath you criticise and condemn. Men blame women for having no sense
of justice, but they are just as bad. They are worse, and with less
excuse. Women's perceptions are so keen that they see every side of a
situation, so it happens sometimes that they get confused, and appear
contradictory. Men are so blind that they only see _one_ side--their
own side--and in utter ignorance of all the others they proceed to lay
down the law. For my part, I prefer the woman's standpoint."
Such a blankly amazed face stared into mine! The blue eyes widened, a
glimpse of strong white teeth showed between the parted lips. He gaped
like a child, and said vaguely:--
"Yes, but--I don't understand! That may all be quite true, but what on
earth has it got to do with what we were talking of last?"
I bridled. Nothing on earth is more exasperating than to enlarge on
one's own pet theories, and then to find that they have fallen flat. I
made my voice as chilling as possible.
"To me the connection seems obvious."
"Sorry. My stupidity, I suppose. I fail to grasp it. Will you
explain?"
"You said that Delphine was not a woman. If that is so, it's her
husband's fault--and yours! And every other man's with whom she comes
in contact. You all treat her like a child, and expect her to behave as
a child, and then turn round and abuse her because she dances to your
tune."
"Excuse me. Who abuses her?"
"You did. You said--"
"I said she was a charming child of whom I was very fond. Is that
abuse?"
"In the--er--the connection in which you used it--in the way in which
you said it, and meant it, and avoided saying something else--yes, it
is."
For a moment he looked as if he were going to laugh, then met my eyes,
thought better of it, and grunted instead.
"Sorry. Again I don't quite follow. But no doubt it is my illogical
mind. I should be interested to know in what way you hold me
responsible for Delphine's shortcomings?"
"I have just told you. You treat her as a child who must be fed on
sweetmeats, and bribed with treats and diversions; conversationally you
talk down to her level. It never occurs to you to expect her to be in
earnest about any one thing."
"Well?"
"Well! Isn't that enough? Can't you see how such an attitude must
affect her character and development?"
"No, I can't. To my mind it wouldn't matter what the whole world
thought. For good or ill, I stand for myself. What other people
happened to think about me wouldn't affect me one jot."