I must confess at once that it was Flora de Barral whom I suspected. In
this world as at present organized women are the suspected half of the
population. There are good reasons for that. These reasons are so
discoverable with a little reflection that it is not worth my while to
set them out for you. I will only mention this: that the part falling to
women's share being all "influence" has an air of occult and mysterious
action, something not altogether trustworthy like all natural forces
which, for us, work in the dark because of our imperfect comprehension.
If women were not a force of nature, blind in its strength and capricious
in its power, they would not be mistrusted. As it is one can't help it.
You will say that this force having been in the person of Flora de Barral
captured by Anthony . . . Why yes. He had dealt with her masterfully.
But man has captured electricity too. It lights him on his way, it warms
his home, it will even cook his dinner for him--very much like a woman.
But what sort of conquest would you call it? He knows nothing of it.
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