180 STRAY -AW AYS 



we were in the precincts of the Folkcthing, the Lower 

 House, a very large, low hall, with pillars and a great 

 deal of white and gold abovit it. The general sug- 

 gestion was of the saloon of an ocean liner. The 

 benches of the legislators curved in horseshoe shape 

 to the rostrum of the Speaker; in front of each 

 member was a desk, set forth with writing materials 

 and Parliamentary returns, and in generous propor- 

 tion to the number of members were duly ranged the 

 spittoons. The Prime Minister, Herr Estrup, was 

 speaking — ^a middle-aged senator of the English squire 

 type, with reddish-grey moustache and whiskers, 

 and something cat-like about his broad cheek-bones 

 and light, steady eye. It was a speech on the Budget, 

 spoken in a poor voice, and without any graces of 

 delivery. Little attention was paid to him; the 

 members talked, wrote letters, went out, or chatted 

 in whispers with the occupants of the space set apart 

 for visitors. 



Incredible as it may seem to the British legislator, 

 we ourselves, with others of our dangerous sex, were 

 among the occupants of that space, and though the 

 sole barrier was a low, padded balustrade, we under- 

 stand that it has hitherto served its purpose and 

 stemmed the invasion of the Women Suffragists. 

 The Eastern precautions that hedge our Ladies' 

 Gallery — whether in the interests of its occupants, 

 or of those of the Members, we have never clearly 

 understood — ^were here daringly neglected. It does 

 but show how quickly the mind becomes habituated 

 to abuses that it seemed quite unremarkable to see 

 a young woman walking upon the sacred floor of the 

 House itself, without a hat, without so much as a 

 veil, and with an unblushingly business-like aspect. 

 She was one of the reporters, and she moved about 

 and made her notes with apparent unconsciousness 



