Long before the hour fixed4 for the meeting, multitudes of people of both sexes approached Langham Place by every converging5 avenue. The doors of the Hall were besieged6 by an enormous concourse, and the police on duty soon found themselves entirely7 powerless to preserve order. As evening approached, the crowd became more and more dense8, extending southward far into Regent Street, and northward9 into Portland Place. Every window in[Pg 34] the Langham Hotel was crowded with wondering visitors, looking down upon the immense assembly, from which rose angry shouts as mounted constables10 forced their horses through the outskirts11 of the crowd in the vain effort to keep the people on the move. When darkness rendered the situation still more dangerous, urgent representations were made to the managers of the Hall, and the doors were suddenly thrown open. A wild yell of relief or eagerness rose from thousands of throats, and a scene of indescribable violence and confusion followed, as men and woman pushed, struggled, and fought their way towards the entrances. In a few moments every seat had been seized, every inch of standing12 room occupied. The attempts of the attendants to attend to the angry demands of those who held tickets for reserved seats were absolutely futile13. Every gangway was blocked by pushing and struggling humanity, and those who, alarmed by such a condition of things, sought to force their way out were prevented from doing so by the swarms14 of people who were already wedged in the corridors.
A babel of voices arose on every side, but at length the audience was weeded out to some extent, and the great numbers that remained settled down in patient expectation, solaced15, after a time, by the music of the grand organ and the singing of the songs and choruses. Tier after tier at the back of the platform, usually occupied by musicians, had been reserved for Members of Parliament and officials of State. Not one seat was vacant save the chair of the Vice-President. When the hour appointed for the meeting struck on the clocks of the neighbouring churches, there was a great clapping of hands, and an excited waving of hats and handkerchiefs. A tall thin figure, wearing a flowing[Pg 35] robe of scarlet16, now advanced from the right-hand side of the platform, and, on emerging from behind the rows of palms and ferns, came into full view of the audience.
Although she had become so great a power in England, the Vice-President was only known by means of pictures and photographs to a great number of those who were present. They gazed at her with wonder and interest. There was character in every line of her face. Her grey hair, swept back from the broad low brow, made her look older than her actual years. Her eyes were rather prominent and staring. The upper lip was so long as to betoken17 a marked degree of obstinacy18, and her chin, square and firm, with the flesh bagging a little on either side, accentuated19 the general indications of hardness.
When she spoke20, her greatest charm was made known. Her voice was excellent, it had that kind of purring intonation21 which reminded some of the older people of the celebrated22 actress Sarah Bernhardt; her friends said that it was partly because of the "purr" that she had acquired the popular nickname of "Lady Cat."
There were no formal preliminaries. Raising her hand for silence, she began to speak, and her first sentence was well chosen and arresting:
"The Amazon is the greatest river in the world!"
Puzzled glances were exchanged, and here and there was heard a wondering titter. Were they in for a lecture on geography?
The speaker went on without a pause, and swiftly undeceived them:
"The Amazon flows from the Andes with such stupendous force, in such enormous volume, that its waters are carried unmixed into the Atlantic Ocean."
[Pg 36]
They now had a dim idea of what was coming, and the impression was speedily confirmed:
"There are other mighty23 forces in the world besides that river, and I for one, speaking for the sex to which I belong, would glory in the name of Amazon. Call us Amazons, if you will. Let those laugh who win; women are winning all along the line!"
Shrill24 applause went up from hundreds of women in the audience. The men, in a minority, were silent and uneasy.
"The time has come for facing facts, for examining claims and titles. Man's title to be Lord of Creation is full of flaws, and we dispute it."
"It is no use trusting to recent history. The men by force and fraud got into possession of all the good things, all the power that life has to offer, and thousands of us have meekly28 acquiesced29. If you are content to be regarded as the weaker vessel30, if it satisfies you to be compared with men as water is compared with wine, or moonlight unto sunlight, be it so; we who are wiser must leave you to your fate. But some of us have already advanced a stage or two towards the position we claim rightfully as our own. Yet, you women of England, mark this, the stages already covered are nothing to what we can and will achieve."
Excited applause for a few minutes prevented the speaker from proceeding31. A fierce disturbance32 broke out at the back of the Hall, but was promptly33 quelled34.
"One thing all men and women here to-night must realise. There cannot be two Kings in Brent[Pg 37]ford, no, nor a King and Queen. Of the two sexes, one alone can reign35. Which shall it be?"
Shrill cries of "ours, ours!" broke from the speaker's supporters.
"Yes," she cried triumphantly36, "our turn has come at last; it shall be ours, if women only stand to their guns. But there can be no halting half way. Forward or Retreat!"
"Forward, Forward!" came from the now enthusiastic audience, with eager cheers and shouts, and again the cry went up: "Forward, one and all."
"Forward let it be. But, remember, the race will be to the swift and the battle to the strong. To-night I call you to arms. To-night I remind you that among the ancient races of the world there were women who set us the example that we need. The story of the Amazons of old is no fable37. They lived—they fought for supremacy38. They won it and they held it. So can we!"
Tumultuous cries, blended now with angry hisses40 from the men, disturbed the meeting. But so great was the ascendency which the Vice-President already had acquired over most of her hearers, that a wave of her hand stilled the uproar41, and she was enabled to proceed. At the same moment, on a screen at the back of the platform, was thrown a startling life-sized picture of an Amazonian warrior42:
"Behold43!" cried the orator44, grasping the dramatic moment and extending her arm, "Behold Thalestris—Queen of the Amazons!"
For an instant the vast audience paused—surprised, staring, almost bewildered.
"You are asking yourselves who was Thalestris," the speaker continued. "The Amazons founded a state in Asia Minor25 on the coast of the Black Sea. Herodotus will tell you how they fought with the[Pg 38] Greeks; how they hunted in the field and marched with the Scythians to battle. Well, Thalestris became their Queen. They styled her the daughter of Mars. She set the men to spin wool and do the work of the house. The women went to the wars, and the men stayed at home and employed themselves in those mean offices which in this country have been forced upon our sex. The Amazons went from strength to strength; they built cities, erected45 palaces, and created an empire. And there were other Amazonian nations. All of them acted on the same principle. The women kept the public offices and the magistracy in their own hands. Husbands submitted to the authority of their wives. They were not encouraged, or allowed, to throw off the yoke46. The women, in order to maintain their authority, cultivated every art of war. For this is certain—all history proves it: force is the ultimate remedy in all things. That was why the Amazons of old learnt how to draw the bow and throw the javelin47."
"For shame! for shame!" roared a man's voice from the balcony.
"There is plenty of cause for shame," was the speaker's swift retort, "but the shame is on the men, the swaggering, bullying48, self-sufficient men who in times past held women in subjection. Why, there were men in England not so very long ago who would put a halter round a wife's neck and bring her into open market, for sale to the highest bidder49. It used to be the law of England that men might chastise50 their wives with a rod of specified51 dimensions...."
"We don't do it now," shouted the same voice.
"No! because you cannot and you dare not. It used to be said that there was one law for the rich and[Pg 39] another law for the poor. But it was always a much more glaring truth that there was one law for men and another law for women. It was so in the Divorce Court until we women altered it. It was so in respect of the results of what was called a lapse52 from virtue53, and we are going to alter that. It was so in regard to votes and representation, and you know we have changed all that!" Loud and vehement54 applause from the majority of the audience greeted this allusion55 to the suffrage56.
"More than half the nation is no longer disenfranchised. But we must not rest content. Like Alexander, we seek more worlds to conquer, and conquest will be ours. While women have grown, men have shrivelled. Athletic57 exercise and a freer and more varied58 life have given our women thews and sinews. But the men are decadent59, degenerates60 who have led indolent, self-indulgent lives. They have given up the Battle of Life. Thousands of them are as enfeebled in body as in intellect. We see around us an undeveloped, puny61, stunted62 race. What? Call these creatures men? I tell you they are not men, they are only mannikins!"
Immense uproar broke out again in every part of the heated, crowded building. When it was subdued63, the speaker resumed in scornful tones:
"Better masculine women than effeminate men! Better the Amazon than the mannikin! Read the story of Boadicea, of Joan of Arc, and of Joan of Montfort! Read what history will tell you about Margaret of Anjou! Worthy64 successors were they of the Amazons of the Caucasus and the Amazons of America, the noble women who gave their name to the greatest river in the world. Like the women of old, let the Amazons of the present century—the Amazons of England—learn to arm, and learn to fight."
[Pg 40]
There was a moment's pause. Then the Vice-President, in tones now piercing and tremulous, cried out:
The electrified66 audience saw the speaker raise her hand, and at the signal twenty girls in smart military uniform marched on to the platform, saluted67, and stood at attention. Each Amazon's hair was cut short, but not too short to be frizzed. On each small head was worn a helmet like that of Thalestris. The braided tunic68 was buttoned from shoulder to shoulder in the Napoleonic style, and the two rows of gilt69 buttons narrowed down to the bright leather belt that encircled the waist. "Bloomers" completed the costume, and a light cutlass and a revolver furnished each Amazon's warlike equipment.
Laughter, applause, and shouted comments greeted the entrance of the girl-soldiers. It became a scene of indescribable confusion.
Then once more the Vice-President vehemently70 appealed to the audience:
"Who will join the Amazons of England?"
Shouts of "I will, I will!" came, first, from the body of the hall; then from every part of the building, until, at last, the women seemed to answer in a perfect scream of eagerness. Many minutes passed before silence was restored. Then it was announced that all recruits could give in their names as they left the hall, and the Vice-President went on to move in formal terms a resolution declaring that this meeting was firmly persuaded that the cause of the nation and of woman required that the women of England should take up arms, and pledged itself, first, to support the establishment of a new body of[Pg 41] militia71 to be recruited from the ranks of the young women of England; and, secondly72, to claim from the State the same rate of pay that hitherto had been paid to men alone.
A thin young woman with hectic73 cheeks and excited manner sprang to her feet on the right of the platform and seconded the motion. She only made one point, but it went home. "I'll ask you one question," she exclaimed, in tones so shrill that here and there a laugh broke out: "Are we inferior to poor Tommy Atkins?"
The aggregate74 answer was so ready and so violent a negative that the opposing element was momentarily subdued. Storms of applause broke out as she resumed her seat.
But with equal readiness another speaker was on her feet on the other side of the platform. In clear high tones her voice rang out over the noisy assembly: "I oppose it!"
Another storm—a storm of remonstrance75 now arose. Cries of "Shame, shame," were hurled76 towards the platform. Then, as some of the audience recognized the new speaker, they exclaimed to the people near them: "It's the President's daughter! It's Zenobia Jardine!"
"Order, order!" roared a minority of the audience, now somewhat encouraged, and in a few minutes, while Zenobia waited—her eyes bright, her lips firmly set—order was secured. The Vice-President had sat down. She looked at her young opponent with no friendly eye, taking no trouble to secure her a quiet hearing. But there was a section of the audience that had only waited for a champion, and meant to see fair play.
"I oppose it," repeated Zenobia, "because I believe that to arm women and train them to fight[Pg 42] will be a mad and wicked act. It would mean a return to barbarism. It would be adding a monstrous77 climax78 to the progress of a great cause. Instead of being the final exaltation of our sex, it would lead to our political extinction79 and our ruin. Let us have none of it."
The Vice-President's face wore a wicked look, and her thin lips tightened80 as this appeal drew a loud cheer from the men and from a certain number of the women in the excited audience.
"It has been said that the empire of women is an empire of softness, of address. Her commands are caresses81, her menaces are tears!"
"No! No!" came from the throats of the Vice-President's supporters. The Vice-President herself arose.
"Will the speaker favour us with the authority for her quotations82?" she asked in loud and cutting tones.
"An effeminate authority indeed!" exclaimed the Vice-President. "We are not all in love" she added sneeringly84.
She seemed for the moment to have won the audience back to her cause. But Zenobia was not beaten.
"Very well!" she cried, "I will give you an English author. Doctor Johnson, at least, was not effeminate. What did he say? 'The character of the ancient Amazons was terrible, rather than lovely. The hand could not be very delicate that was only employed in directing the bow and brandishing85 the battle-axe. Their power was maintained by cruelty; their courage was deformed86 by ferocity'.... Besides, the whole thing's impossible." Conflicting cries broke out in every quarter, and the rest of the[Pg 43] sentence became wholly inaudible. There was a slight lull87 when the Vice-President rose and raised her hand.
"Is it your pleasure that this lady be heard further?" she demanded. The hint received a ready response, and shrieks88 of "No, no!" drowned the protests of the minority. In a moment, the Vice-President put her resolution and called for a show of hands. In another moment, she had declared the motion carried by an overwhelming majority.
At a sign, the organ gave forth89 a trumpet90 note, and then burst into a rushing volume of sound, which drowned all cries and counter-cries, and ended the meeting in a scene of unexampled tumult39 and excitement.
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收听单词发音
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1
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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rumoured
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| adj.谣传的；传说的；风 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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converging
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| adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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constables
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| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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solaced
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| v.安慰，慰藉( solace的过去分词 ) | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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betoken
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| v.预示 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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accentuated
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| v.重读( accentuate的过去式和过去分词 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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intonation
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| n.语调，声调；发声 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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acquiesced
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| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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quelled
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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supremacy
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| n.至上；至高权力 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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hisses
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| 嘶嘶声( hiss的名词复数 ) | |
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uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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45
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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javelin
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| n.标枪，投枪 | |
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48
bullying
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| v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈 | |
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bidder
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| n.(拍卖时的)出价人，报价人，投标人 | |
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chastise
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| vt.责骂，严惩 | |
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51
specified
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| adj.特定的 | |
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52
lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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53
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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54
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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suffrage
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| n.投票，选举权，参政权 | |
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57
athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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decadent
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| adj.颓废的，衰落的，堕落的 | |
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degenerates
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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electrified
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| v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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71
militia
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| n.民兵，民兵组织 | |
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72
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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73
hectic
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| adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的 | |
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74
aggregate
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| adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合 | |
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remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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76
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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78
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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79
extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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80
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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82
quotations
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| n.引用( quotation的名词复数 )；[商业]行情（报告）；（货物或股票的）市价；时价 | |
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83
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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84
sneeringly
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| 嘲笑地，轻蔑地 | |
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85
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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86
deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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87
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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88
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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89
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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90
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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