One evening a few days later Mrs. Twymley and Mrs. Mickleham are in Mrs.
Dowey's house, awaiting that lady's return from some fashionable
dissipation. They have undoubtedly been discussing the war, for the
first words we catch are:

MRS. MICKLEHAM. 'I tell you flat, Amelia, I bows no knee to junkerdom.'

MRS. TWYMLEY. 'Sitting here by the fire, you and me, as one to another,
what do you think will happen after the war? Are we to go back to being
as we were?'

MRS. MICKLEHAM. 'Speaking for myself, Amelia, not me. The war has
wakened me up to a understanding of my own importance that is really
astonishing.'

MRS. TWYMLEY. 'Same here. Instead of being the poor worms the like of
you and me thought we was, we turns out to be visible departments of
a great and haughty empire.'

They are well under weigh, and with a little luck we might now hear
their views on various passing problems of the day, such as the neglect
of science in our public schools. But in comes the Haggerty Woman, and
spoils everything. She is attired, like them, in her best, but the
effect of her is that her clothes have gone out for a walk, leaving her
at home.

MRS. MICKLEHAM, with deep distaste, 'Here's that submarine again.'

The Haggerty Woman cringes to them, but gets no encouragement.