Board's in charge, you might go home while we get these people away?'

'I shall be home long before that. It--it has been rather a trying day.'

She stood up to her full height, dwarfing even De Forest's
six-foot-eight, and smiled, with eyes closed against the fierce light.

'Yes, rather,' said De Forest. 'I'm afraid you feel the glare a little.
We'll have the ship down.'

He motioned to the _Pirolo_ to drop between us and the sun, and at the
same time to loop-circuit the prisoners, who were a trifle unsteady. We
saw them stiffen to the current where they stood. The woman's voice went
on, sweet and deep and unshaken:

'I don't suppose you men realise how much this--this sort of thing means
to a woman. I've borne three. We women don't want our children given to
Crowds. It must be an inherited instinct. Crowds make trouble. They
bring back the Old Days. Hate, fear, blackmail, publicity, "The
People"--_That! That! That_!' She pointed to the Statue, and the crowd
growled once more.

'Yes, if they are allowed to go on,' said De Forest. 'But this little
affair--'

'It means so much to us women that this--this little affair should never
happen again. Of course, never's a big word, but one feels so strongly
that it is important to stop crowds at the very beginning. Those
creatures'--she pointed with her left hand at the prisoners swaying like
seaweed in a tideway as the circuit pulled them--'those people have