1 70 SEPTEMBER 



refuge in silence, but so cannot a woman. Silence 

 is self-betrayal, and a pose is her haven of refuge. 

 Jim's silence cannot be interpreted, because he has 

 a taciturn habit and would be equally silent whether 

 he had anything to conceal or no. Magdalen's 

 silence would mean much. But even a woman's 

 pose is no rampart against another woman, though 

 impregnable to a man, so that in any event 

 Magdalen has little chance of hiding herself from 

 me. But as I am only an onlooker I do not 

 count. 



The time may come when a man will understand 

 a woman so well that it will not be worth her while 

 to pose for him. But so long as the economic con- 

 dition of woman is as it is, so long will it be detri- 

 mental to her to be understood. She has more to 

 gain by remaining a mystery. The day of perfect 

 equality for the sexes in economic matters is as yet 

 dim aeonian periods away, and perfect freedom can 

 come only with perfect equality. With freedom 

 truth and sincerity will display themselves without 

 fear of shame or detriment. But that happy time 

 will probably never arrive to woman on our planet, 

 and in the meanwhile Magdalen in common with 

 the rest of her sex poses. 



If only she would show Jim that she cares one 

 jot about him, it might suggest to him the possi- 

 bility of his caring for her. He is merely stupid, 

 a fault not his own, but of his sex. 



Sept. j. Hardy bulbs are the mainstay and the 

 joy of the winter gardener. They are, speaking 

 generally, certain bloomers, and they are almost 

 independent of favourable conditions. Even a few 



