"No, but you see I begin at
once."
"Begin?"
"Being silly. All the people who know me as Miss Partridge know I'm
an absurd person in spite of my looks. I've proved it to them by my
actions. I've begun at once before they could have time to judge by my
appearance. I've told them instantly that I'm a Christian Scientist,
and a believer in the value of tight-lacing and in ghosts, an
anti-vaccinator, a Fabian, a member of 'The Masculine Club,' a 'spirit,'
a friend of Mahatmas, an intimate of the 'Rational Dress' set--you know,
who wear things like half inflated balloons in Piccadilly--a vegetarian,
a follower of Mrs. Besant, a drinker of hop bitters and Zozophine, a
Jacobite, a hater of false hair and of all collective action to stamp
out hydrophobia, a stamp-collector, an engager of lady-helps instead
of servants, an amateur reciter and skirt dancer, an owner of a lock of
Paderewski's hair--torn fresh from the head personally at a concert--an
admirer of George Bernard Shaw as a thinker but a hater of him as
a humourist, a rationalist and reader of _Punch_, an atheist and
table-turner, a friend of all who think that women don't desire to be
slaves, a homoeopathist and Sandowite, an enemy of babies--as if all
women didn't worship them!--a lover of cats--as if all women didn't hate
one another!--a--"
"One--one moment!" gasped the Prophet at this juncture.
Pages:
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135